by Donna Hamlin

Created on: July 20, 2009   Last Updated: August 17, 2009

Confronting Job Loss and the Recession: How to Maintain Your Self-Esteem

It's a challenge to find yourself without a job, especially during a downturn when jobs are harder to find. If you don't see job loss coming, it can be a shock. If you did anticipate it, it can still feel disorienting to face many sudden issues: paying bills, meeting family needs and covering health insurance. Before the buzz of issues gets to you, take a deep breath and face the first nagging doubt most people have: You think you won't be able to cope. It's not true!

You can cope with this bump in your life. Here are some tips to guide you.

1. Remember: It's not just about you. Instead of saying "Why me?" ask "Why not me?" Most job loss today is a reaction to the economy. It's not a statement about your personal capability or work performance. Executives are straining to determine how to keep companies alive without the precious talent on which they relied. They know you are a true loss. You are, so hold that thought as you seek another organization to which you will bring your best.

2. Spend time with yourself. Assess your strongest work capabilities. Think broadly about how to define a new role that focuses on those strengths. In the same way architects carry a briefcase of samples of their best designs, you can create a sample of times you have used your strengths in projects. This will help you sell yourself as the unique pro you are. Also, consider work you have imagined trying, if you only had the chance. Find professionals in this work and interview them to learn more about it. Explore whether this is the best time to try it out. Learning something new can both energize and excite you.

3. Join a support group. Find a local group helping with job searches, managing personal issues from the recession and providing solutions. With so many people in the same situation, you need not feel alone. Support groups can offer suggestions to help you aovid reinventing the wheel or starting from scratch. Many companies are members of employee assistance programs. Ask if you past employer is a member and contact it for guidance.

4. Seek out a professional counselor, therapist, or life coach. A professional will help you maintain a balanced view about your situation, explore the opportunity hiding inside it and engage you in discovering more about what will give you deeper satisfaction and sense of well-being in your life.

5. Volunteer for Community Efforts or Time for Projects at Companies.

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