I remember when a friend’s daughter reported that she found a dead mouse in the backyard. The toddler explained to me that it has really bad owwies so it will never get back up again.
Today I received some bad news. It was a medium owwie of life, a layoff. It isn’t death. I will get back up again.
Losing a job may feel like grief but no one died. Income ends. Many people are experiencing layoffs at the end of the year because employers are evaluating sales and making their budgets for the new year. What are four things you can do if you are in a similar situation?
1. Feed yourself well.
2. Get enough rest.
3. Laugh with your friends.
4. Maintain your fitness goals.
Eat
One of the biggest temptations after receiving bad news is to eat junk food. Don’t give in! Instead make yourself a meal of immune-boosting veggies and high fiber carbs. I like oat bran pasta with black beans, tomatoes, basil, garlic, mushrooms and spinach. As a treat, make your house smell scrumptious by baking an organic fruit pie.
I bought frozen berries and pie crust. I already had sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon on hand.
Ingredients:
Trader Joe’s Pie Crust
16 oz frozen Organic Wild blueberries
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1 TB Saigon cinnamon
2 TB cornstarch
Equipment:
Skillet
measuring cup
measuring spoon
Oven safe pan
Time: 10 minutes stove prep, 40 minutes bake
Step 1: Pour frozen fruit into nonstick skillet. Add sugar, water and cornstarch.
Step 2: Stir with wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula on high heat until filling thickens.
Step 3: Place frozen pie crust onto the bottom of an oven safe pan. Pour hot filling on top. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.
Rest
After I ate, I took a power nap in a bedroom decorated with vanilla scented LED candles and pinecones I picked up from my my recent 5K. Bringing nature indoors and using tranquil lighting creates a restful setting.
Laugh
Let your good friends know you are a bit bummed. Talking with friends will help you put things in perspective.Otherwise, as a wise friend put it, you are in danger of drowning in your own glass of water. By this,she means that a problem can loom larger than it actually is. You are not alone and you will find another job. Also watching some silliness such as Cantonese YMCA Skeletor helps too.
Exercise
When I woke up I did push ups and my usual floor exercises to strengthen my knee for the next trail run in February. I’m so glad that I signed up for another competition through Active.com. Why? A fitness routine and a way to measure progress is important to me. This helps me move forward despite setbacks.
What do you do to take special care of yourself when bad news strikes? What is your equivalent to powernaps and pie baking?
Take care and stay strong!