When your spouse loses their job…how to keep going

Last week my husband lost his job after working there for more than a year. The perils of living and working for a company, because at anytime they can let it go if they feel you do not benefit them as an employee. Arguably it is the company’s right to do so. But I am here to talk about how to survive being fired as an individual and couple and how to increase your marketablity as your explore your options for another job.

1. Being fired- Being fired is a normal part of life. It is as normal as death and taxes. The first thing is to get into a good mental space. Seek outside help if that is needed. To simply put in the long run, a job is just a job and you may need a job to acquire resources. However you are more than any job and life must and should go on
2. Access your current situation: financial, emotional and mental and create a written plan of action
3. Financial assessment involves looking at the positives and negatives of your current situation
   1. Negative assessment for us were: we didn’t have three months savings yet, we still have debts to pay off, it happened too early in the year, and my husband will lose his benefits
   2. Positive assessment: I still have my job and my benefits and now we can transfer all our benefits to my plan, my husband was able to get a good severance package that has enabled us make up for the lack of savings, we are both healthy and we can find good work and tax season is coming up and we will be getting refunds that will provide us with some cushion
4. Emotional assessment: It is ok to be lose a job. It is ok to experience negative as well as positive emotions. Make sure to feel those emotions, and take time to heal your spirit as an individual and as a couple. Don’t make any snap decisions after losing your job, take at least two weeks of time to process that firing and take a mental mini-vacation if you can not afford a physical vacation
5. Mental: Seek psychological help. They are many companies that provide free counselling to their employees after they have been let go. Please take advantage of these opportunity. Lastly it may seem money is important for your survival, but it more important to be healthy and money comes and goes