This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, hop over to our Disclosure page.
Today we are talking about something a bit different; how to recover after you’ve been fired.
You just lost your job. Worse, actually, you’ve been fired. Ouch.
It happens to the best of us, but that doesn’t make it any easier. With job prospects for millennials as dismal as ever, finding yourself without the job you were “kinda, sorta, pretty-okay with” is enough to make anyone feel as anxious as a fish out of water, and about as hopeless as a pet rock.
Excuse the cliché, but losing your mediocre job truly is a wonderful blessing in disguise. Now that you have all this time on your hands, you have an opportunity to pour your creative energies into activities that bring value to your existence, instead of that faceless behemoth you labored for day-in and day-out.
So what should you do with your newfound freedom?
Disconnect from temptation
I’ll tell you the first thing you shouldn’t do, and that is to let your anger and resentment, permeate your social media accounts. It’s super difficult, as we crave consolation and justification for our frustration, but really, nothing good ever comes from online bashing. At best, you’ll get a few supportive tweets and then be done with it; at worst, your next prospective employer will assume you are an entitled brat, (which you most definitely aren’t,) and casually lose your resume.
Get all workplace reminders out of your sight
You don’t need to be looking at anything that reminds you of your previous job, (at least until tax season rolls around.) Gather all work-related documents on your computer and place them in an out-of-sight folder. Round up any company papers strewn around your home and hide them in a drawer. Stop drinking your morning coffee out of company-branded mug. And for goodness sakes, get rid of that awful company sweatshirt that they ever so graciously gifted you at last year’s holiday party. This works wonders for getting all those bad vibes out of your thoughts.
Give your space a good deep cleaning
While you’re at it, you might as well dispose of more than just the junk you accumulated on the job. You know what they say; a fresh home equals a fresh mind. Challenge yourself to do all the things you just never got around before, like cleaning your windows, organizing your Tupperware, and folding last week’s laundry. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, give your home office a sleek makeover. You’ll instantly feel more productive and ready to take on the world.
Work out your frustrations (literally)
Even when you aren’t plagued with pent up frustrations, exercising is one of the most productive ways to spend your free time. Yet, it is too often the first thing to get kicked off our to-do lists. With an extra 40 hours per week waiting to be filled with activities, there is no better time than now to kick your butt into high gear. Your body, (and clothes,) will thank you.
Accept that you probably saw this coming
Companies don’t jettison staff for no reason. Once your negative thoughts are calmed, give yourself an honest, no-bullsh*t performance evaluation. Were you really doing your best work? Did you take constructive criticism as well as you think you did? Can you honestly say that you never mentally checked out? Don’t worry, you’re not a bad person if you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions. On the contrary, it shows that you are growing and becoming more capable of looking at yourself critically, so that hopefully you can avoid this crummy situation in the future.
Okay, so I’m a bit biased. I promise, I’m not a nutcase that believes blogging cures all woes, but pretty darn close. Hear me out.
If you aren’t exactly sure what you want to pursue, blogging can help you figure it out
Too many millennials are stuck in suckish jobs. This is thanks to an economy that makes us too fearful to turn down opportunities that we know aren’t right, just in case nothing better comes along. I fell into this trap too– I accepted a dental assisting job right out of college because I thought it wouldn’t be too bad. I was wrong; it was terrible. But I didn’t know this because hadn’t considered what I would be interested in, versus what I would find disgusting. It was all on a level playing field, which was a mistake.
If you aren’t so sure of your interests, start a lifestyle blog. Blog about fashion, crafting, family vacations, pet-sitting, whatever. Soon enough, it’ll be obvious which topics interest you the most.
Your job search will be much more successful if you know what you’re looking for. You’ll be able to hone in on a specific industry and explore all it has to offer, and who knows, maybe you can even start your own business.
You’ll foster relevant job-seeking skills
Blogging may be considered a hobby to many, but it is actually hard work. What activity requires you to be a storyteller, researcher, writer, editor, marketer, networker, web designer, teacher, and IT technician all at once? Oh yeah, and you can’t forget professional time-manager, either.
First and foremost, you will improve your writing skills, and everything that goes along with that. Even if you don’t think your future career has anything to do with writing, chances are you’ll have to compose emails, right? Though it may seem trivial, improving your storytelling skills can be immensely helpful when you are trying to “sell” yourself to future recruiters.
The bottom line- the benefits of blogging on your overall career are almost endless. No matter what you wind up doing, you blogging proficiencies will be right there beside you.
You can pursue a hobby in a productive way
The thought of being unproductive stops us in our tracks, especially when we’re between jobs. But blogging is not like any other hobby. Take coloring, for example. You can spend hours coloring, but you didn’t really use any useful skills in that time, nor do you have a worthwhile product to show for it. Now if you were blogging about coloring, that would be a different story. You’d still be coloring, but you’d also be cultivating useful skills for your future.
Take the initiative to transform your “lifestyle” blog into a targeted blog that serves a specific audience. Finding your niche is like finding your own voice among all the shouting in the world.
Starting a blog about absolutely anything is immensely valuable. I’m not saying it isn’t. But this is a beauty blog, so…
Finding a job, and then doing said job takes a lot out of us. Beauty and other self-care rituals are often the first to go when we’re short on time. When we lose sight of what makes us feel good, we lose the drive to do better, and we just feel crummy.
Writing a beauty blog gives you a reason to try new products and techniques. I totally understand; it can feel completely selfish and wasteful to focus on something like beauty. Though just like with the coloring example, you’ll be doing more than just the beauty things themselves. Make sense? I hope so.
Above all, blogging is a personal journey. It is also a reflection of your life. Live a life worth blogging about to find your true passions. Where you go with those passions is up to you.
See, maybe being fired was the best thing that ever happened to you.
Pssst! Want more help with starting your very own blog? Check out my post all about the Top 10 Essential Tools You Need When Starting A Blog!
That’s all for today!
If you like this post, check out this one too >> How to Never Run Out of Things to Blog About
If you found this post enlightening, informative, or just plain entertaining, leave me a comment below telling me what you think! And don’t forget, sharing is caring. Share this post!
Till next time. ♥︎
Sign up for my free monthly e-journal, The Millennial Maven Love Letters for exclusive content + millennial inspiration and lifestyle hacks. Plus get instant access to my library of on-the-go style downloads!
FTC- Not sponsored by any brands mentioned. All opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliated.
Leave a Reply