I think we can all agree that we have seen major layoffs in the last couple of months. I am no stranger to being laid off, and I feel like so many people spend the first few days not taking care of themselves. So, I wanted to share my tips for taking care of yourself and dusting yourself off after a layoff.

Take a beat.

No one is expecting you to bounce back immediately. Your pride and ego may be aching, but this is not the end of the world. (Let me repeat that: it is not the end of the world.) Take a little bit of time to rest and recuperate. Read a book you have been putting off. Grab lunch with friends. Take a well-needed nap. You can't just jump back into the job market with low spirits expecting to find something within hours of you getting the news.

Update platforms and your resume.

Once you have taken some time to patch yourself up, hit the ground running. Let people know you are #opentowork. Post on social media that you are looking for a new opportunity. Take the time to update your resume (or give it an entirely new facelift!) And for those of you who aren't as design-savvy, Canva has some great templates for building an aesthetic resume. There is nothing like having a new and shiny resume/CV to send off and help you manifest your next opportunity!

Treat your job search like a new job...but like, a super flexible one.

Set yourself a schedule and office hours for applying, emailing, returning calls, and searching. You can't spend 8 hours a day looking, but you can dedicate a little bit of time of your day working on finding a job. I'd suggest 9 am-noon. It also gives you the opportunity to get some other tasks done that you may have been putting off. (That pile of laundry, working on your garden, trying a new hobby! Leave some time for you to focus on activities outside of a job search.

Collect references.

You may have gotten laid off, but that doesn't mean that there aren't people at your previous company that wouldn't mind vouching for you! Ask for references, be it the experience of working with you, a review of your work, or a highlight of a project you worked on together. This not only beefs up your resume but also it feels good to know that your work meant something.

Be kind to yourself.

You can't expect things to fall into your lap and you can't beat yourself up. A layoff isn't a failure. There are new opportunities opening up every single day, so finding a community (like Elpha!) to invest some time in is a great avenue for networking, resource material, and job sources.