A friend of mine recently expressed his concern that his contract may not be renewed as his place of work started a ‘wave of Omanisation’ as he calls it.
He told me that he is having sleepless nights thinking about the day he gets told that he has to pack and leave the country. I sympathise with him and reassured him that he is still productive and talented and should not have a problem starting a new job elsewhere.
The economic crises post Covid forced many businesses to let go of their employees despite their good performance. Such a situation understandably affects the sense of job security that we all need in order to do our jobs.
Most of us spend at least eight hours at our workplace and more working from home. It’s understandable that some people feel angry, frustrated and let down when they get their notice of end of service.
So how can we deal with the emotions during such times? We all know that living through difficult times can affect our mood, health, and outlook about life in general.
Some people feel helpless and overwhelmed by stress and anxiety while others feel uncertain about the future. Most people have some degree of resilience that helps them through such difficulties.
The term resilience is used to describe the ability to cope with the loss, change and trauma that one experiences. Therefore, building resilience can help us cope with life-changing events.
According to psychologists, the following tips can help in building resilience. First, practice acceptance and don’t deny the event that is taking place. Denial can give you temporary relief from the shock of a traumatic event but long term denial will prevent you from adapting to the new situation and finding possible solutions.
The second step is to identify what you can and cannot control. Make a list of all the things you cannot control and allow yourself to stop worrying about them.
Focus on the actions that you can take. If your contract is not renewed, you cannot change the reason behind it but you can control how much time and effort you put into updating your CV and searching for a new job.
Remember previous times in your life where you had to cope with adversities, this will boost your confidence that you will be able to pull through again.
The third tip is to accept your feelings: some of us are taught to put on a brave face and bury our painful emotions which does not work most of the time. Instead it increases our stress levels and prevents us from moving on.
When you allow yourself to experience painful emotions, the trauma will start to disappear gradually and you’ll be able to move forward. The fourth tip is to talk to someone you trust about your feelings even if they don’t have a solution for you.
Sharing your emotions with someone who is caring and empathetic can help you gain confidence and move on. Avoid talking to people who are negative and critical as they may make you feel worse. The fifth tip is to invest in self-care such as having enough sleep, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Finally, remember to stay focused and have faith in God and things will be fine eventually.
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