You sign in, place your belongings, and take a seat at the desk in your office. Suddenly, your boss enters the room and asks you to come into their office. You thought it was a normal conversation until they say the dreaded sentence: “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I have to let you go." RELATED: How To Tactfully Tell Your Boss You’re Quitting (Even If It’s A Job You Deeply Loathe) Your heart sinks. You can’t believe what you just heard, even if you disliked your position. However, no one realizes that being laid off or fired is actually a blessing.
If you’re in a similar situation, here are 10 things to do (other than preparing for job interviews or writing cover letters):
1. Learn a new recipe.
Perhaps you’ve started to order takeout more often throughout your job. However, you have more time to make new cuisines now. While you job hunt, you can explore food from different cultures. And when you obtain a new position, you won’t have to order food from restaurants.
2. Incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine.
Since you have more time on your hands, you can begin a daily mindfulness routine. YouTube videos can teach you the basics of yoga and meditation. In fact, you can follow the videos throughout every practice as a guideline. You’ll definitely feel refreshed and stress-free.
3. Start freelancing.
Do you have a hobby? If so, you can pursue it. If you love to draw, you can sell your artwork online and build an audience. Even if you plan to freelance temporarily, you never know where you may end up.
4. Learn more about current events.
It’s hard to catch up on current events when you’re swamped with stress. However, when you look for a new position, you can spend more time learning about the world. Spare 30 minutes every day to browse through local and national newspapers and read up on topics that interest you. You’ll be surprised by the knowledge you gain.
5. Pick up a book.
Books are a great way to dive into an unknown world, and they’re now becoming more accessible. Perhaps you can set a goal for yourself to read two to three books a week. You’ll realize how every story is interesting in its way. RELATED: Your Job Is Not Supposed To Make You Happy
6. Revamp your closet.
While you’re looking for a new position, you want to feel refreshed and confident. You can begin by changing your style and color palette. For example, if you love dark tones, why not try something colorful? The more you experiment, the happier you’ll feel in your skin.
7. Reach out to old friends.
Want to reach out to a high school friend? Now is the perfect time to catch up and plan a virtual get-together. So many unforgettable moments can happen, and you should cherish them.
8. Learn new software.
Now that technology is dominating our world, learning new software is necessary to keep up with the latest trends. For example, you can spend an hour a day learning Microsoft Excel or Adobe Photoshop. Although it may sound difficult at first, keep in mind that there are plenty of online tutorials to help you. If you keep at it, you’ll be surprised at your progress.
9. Take a course or two.
If you want to change your career, you can take a course at your local community college. Although going back to school may be expensive, you’ll learn new skills and meet different people, some of whom may face a similar situation. Remember that it’s never too late to start all over, and new knowledge is better than no knowledge.
10. Grab a notebook and reflect on your journey.
Everyone’s journey is not easy. Career journeys are especially complicated since they involve multiple decisions and require persistence. Once you begin to write down the process and analyze your choices, you’ll be more determined throughout the job searching process. You’ll realize the skills that you possess and the experiences that you have. Then, you’ll realize the right path for you. As you head out of the office, you suddenly feel hope inside you. Sure, it may stink that a position was taken away from you. But you’ll realize that it wasn’t the job you were looking for in the beginning. With determination and hope, you know that you’ll make it, and you’ll never back down. RELATED: It’s Time To Prioritize Yourself Over Your Job Candice Zhang is a writer who focuses on relationships, health and wellness, and current events. Her work has been featured in Unwritten, Her Campus, The Strand, and others. Visit her author profile on Unwritten for more. This article was originally published at Unwritten. Reprinted with permission from the author.
