The Summer I Got Laid Off
Nothing could’ve prepared me for the summer I’ve had so far, but I don’t regret it one bit.
Now, that might come off as strange considering the headline of this article, but I’ve cried, laughed, and most importantly, learned a lot from being laid off.
When I saw the “HR/Casey” meeting pop up on my calendar, I prepared for the worst. And let me say, no matter how much I prepared for it, my eyes still welled up in that meeting I was so-called “prepared” for.
Then I sobbed when I forgot to take my lunch from the fridge before I left the office in a rush.
I’m not going to sit here and say that being laid off has its perks, but it wasn't all sad and gloomy either. And here’s how I have been coping (barely).
Talking About It, but Knowing My Limits
When I got laid off, I called the whole world for a week. The next thing I knew, I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. It has become a tiresome subject for me, and I’m easily irritable when people ask me how my day was.
Bed Rotting
The first few days after getting laid off, I spent my days catching up on Real Housewives of Atlanta. When I started watching Real Housewives of New Jersey to change things up, I knew something was off. The number of hot Cheetos I’ve run through so far is astronomical.
Free Shit Is Nice
When my friend told me that the aquarium was free on Wednesdays, my ears perked up. I had spent so many days at home trying to control my spending. So you best believe we went to the aquarium on Wednesday.
Me at the aquarium, photo by me
Looking to the Stars
When I fall into lulls and disappointment about job hunting, I pull up my birth chart and let TikTok astrologers tell me when I'm going to find a job and what that job would be.
BFFS <3
I really don’t have much to say here other than “I love you all so much.” I wouldn’t be anywhere without the love and support from my friends through this time, and I haven’t exactly been the best version of myself recently. Grateful would be an understatement.
Routine (on my own terms)
When I got laid off, everyone’s first piece of advice to me was “Don’t lose your routine!” “Find a new routine!.” Yeah, I’m going to be so honest; that was f^%#$@! hard. I’m taking baby steps. I make matcha every day and eat when I feel like it. I’ll figure everything else out later, I promise.
Image of a journal, source unknown
Family Matters
From babysitting to singing with my whole family at my aunt and uncle’s vow renewal, I’ve been re-energized again with love. Honestly, I might have cried more at the vow renewal (happy tears, of course) than I’ve cried about being laid off this summer.
Self-reflecting
While most of my friends and roommates have actual jobs and can’t spend time with me complaining about not having a job (rude, JK), I’m mostly talking to myself. Ok, not really, but I’ve had a lot of time learning about myself. From figuring out my emotions to figuring out my career goals, it's been good to have the time to really reflect. Therapy helps too.
Saying No
When no income is coming in, I’ve started to analyze every dollar being spent and every emotion being felt. I realize that the “laid-off” me is not exactly the most social and outgoing person. Sure, I could go out with my friends and spend some money, but just knowing myself, I would just feel guilty the whole time. So yeah, no has become the new normal, but hopefully not for long.
Embracing the Unknown
The unknown is terrifying, and my roommates would shout it from the rooftops about how paranoid I get about it. But this time around, I’m excited. I know good things are coming (I mean, come on, the stars don't lie).
So I hope this helps ease your mind if you have just been laid off or have been job hunting, and if not, I hope you at least got a little smile out of it. Being laid off is not fun to talk about, and it’s quite a dull topic, but I believe there’s always a silver lining somewhere; you just have to look for it.