How to Move Forward After You Leave or Quit a Job Without a Plan

Whether you’ve been recently laid off or you’ve decided to leave a job for your own reasons, if you’re reading this right now, you probably weren’t exactly prepared for what happens next.

Without a job lined up, worries about paying your bills or putting food on the table are bound to creep up, and it’s easy to find yourself feeling scared, hopeless, and even jealous when processing a job loss. But even though times might seem dark right now, rest assured there are ways you can keep a handle on your stress while figuring out your next steps.

So no matter how you’re feeling about the state of things right now, look to the tips below to help yourself move forward and find peace after a job loss:

1. Maintain a daily routine.

Without the familiar everyday work schedule, you might find yourself sleeping in or wondering where the hours went in your day. To keep yourself motivated, no matter what your goals are, try maintaining your usual routine and dedicate the time that would be spent at work to finding a new job, starting your business, or doing something else.

2. Don’t keep it bottled up.

Losing a job, or even quitting one you didn’t like, is never easy, and it’s more than normal to find yourself struggling emotionally after the fact. Job loss is a difficult thing to process on your own — don’t be fooled — so don’t be afraid to reach out to a friend or even a professional for help or just to talk.

3. Find meaningful ways to contribute.

While you’re working on securing your next big break, combat feelings of shame or unproductiveness by keeping yourself busy in other meaningful ways. Whether it's volunteering or connecting with others with similar experiences, discovering things to do that get you out into the community and feel good, too, can do wonders for your mood.

Life doesn’t stop after a job loss.

For more mental health resources about career, work, and more, visit our blog for more: https://www.sim-int.org/blog