Got ?laid off Here's how you can move on

[dhilipkumar]

Got laid off? Here's how you can move on


Getting fired is painful and it can bring one's entire world crashing. But the initial challenge is even tougher: breaking the news to family and friends. In India, the social stigma attached to job loss prevents people from saying they've been fired.

See what's happening to Neena Vedavyas, who was an assistant (project) director in a software firm. She was laid off 40 days ago. "I had no issues in telling my husband about it. But my in-laws came to stay with us for three months just a day before I was fired. Many times, I prepared myself to tell them, but just couldn't do it."

For the first few days, Neena said she was on leave, to help them settle down. "The third day I said I was unwell and hence staying home. The next day, my mother-in-law got up early to get my lunch box ready. I had no choice but to get ready and leave home. But I had nowhere to go."

She drove straight to a friend's house. "Your house is my office till I get another job or until my in-laws leave," she told her friend. Neena now finds it tough to cook up stories when each day her mother-in-law asks about her day at work.

R Srinivasa Murthy, retired professor of psychiatry at Nimhans, says in job losses, one's self-esteem takes a beating. "Hypertension, irritability, stress, diabetes and inability to enjoy things in life set in. Some even take to drugs," he says.

To avoid such issues, psychiatrists and counsellors advise that those who lose jobs should open out to family and friends. "Family and friends can work as a solid support system in times of trouble. Isolation can lead to depression and suicidal tendencies," cautions Robert D'Roza, a lifeskills counsellor attached to Hope Chapel.

Young IT professional Abhishek Kumar is another victim of the job-loss stigma. "I did not know how to tell my wife and parents that I was fired. So I pretended I was still working. I would go out and spend the whole day and return home in the evening. For a married man, it's tough to face such a situation," he says.

Neena and Abhishek are not exceptions. Many are unable to tell the truth to even those whom they are close to.



Accept the fact

Share with family/friends

Do not lie

Do not alter daily routine

Accept help / suggestions

Relax, read, listen to music, exercise

Reach out to professionals