Wellbeing support
At RedundantCV, we understand the impact of redundancy. Instead of offering generic wellbeing advice like most job boards, we wanted to be able to offer you more tailored and thoughtful support.
This resource has therefore been developed in collaboration with Dr Matthew Ryan, a Clinical Psychologist at Psychological Edge, a specialist therapy and coaching service.
They have curated some redundancy specific wellbeing guidance, and developed some great resources to help you think about your career.
Redundancy can feel horrible!
Redundancy often brings on a whole host of uncomfortable feelings - anxiety, anger, panic, fear, shock, overwhelm, and worry about the future. This emotional response is completely normal, and can be thought about as your brains best attempt to process, manage and respond to the new threat it is now facing.
It is also common for individuals to take redundancy personally, and we wanted to take this opportunity to be a reminder that redundancy is often much more related to business struggles or restructuring, rather than down to an individuals performance or personality.
However, it is also normal for individuals to feel a strong sense of loss to their identity, to take a knock to their confidence, to experience a sense of grief about their career, and to experience a big disruption to their routine.
So what can I do to manage how I'm feeling?
As these emotions are often really uncomfortable, it can be tempting to try to avoid or push them away. This approach can sometimes be helpful, but often doesn't fix the problem long-term.
The good news is that you don't have to avoid or push these feelings away. The best approach can often be to let yourself feel them, talk them through with someone you trust, write them down in a journal, and then dedicate time to focus on what you can control.
Psychological Edge have put together some initial ideas on how to manage overwhelm and worry, and to help you begin taking small steps to get you back on track with your career:
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Get your thoughts and feelings outside of your body
- Write them down
- Say them out loud
- Talk to friends and family
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Keep connected
- Plan and keep socialising with friends and family
- Maintain community presence
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Maintain your routines
- Exercise
- Food and drink
- Sleep routines
- Hobbies
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Keep things simple
- Take each day one step at a time
- Create a weekly schedule to keep things structured
- Celebrate the small wins (e.g. updating a CV, applying for a job, etc.)
- Break tasks down into smaller and more manageable chunks
- Get help from others
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Make a plan
- Carve out dedicated time to start assessing your situation
- Start small (e.g. 15 minutes each day)
- Focus on the most urgent and pressing matters
Resources and worksheets
Psychological Edge have created some helpful resources and worksheets to help you manage some of the challenges of redundancy:
Worrying Effectively worksheet.pdf
Understanding your Values worksheet.pdf
Introduction to Mindfulness worksheet.pdf
Accessing professional support
The information provided above is not intended to replace professional advice. If you are struggling with your mental health and wellbeing, please seek professional support.
Psychological Edge have agreed to offer discounted rates for RedundantCV users. To find out more, click their logo and let them know you're a RedundantCV user.
Alternatively, you can seek free support for your mental health through the NHS by contacting your GP or by contacting 111 and selecting the mental health line.
Some additional mental health resources and links can be found below: