A Heart-to-Heart

Read Time — 3 minutes.

Hey everyone, welcome back.

If you’ve been following Layoff Lemonade for a while, normally I like to feature catchy titles and uplifting content.

If that’s more of what you’re looking for today, great. I encourage you to check out past newsletters here.

Today’s newsletter is a bit more serious and reflective.

I’ll be discussing mental health and addiction.

If that’s not your speed, no worries. I hope to catch you back here next Saturday.

I just felt compelled to share a personal story in case it may help you or a loved one.

But as always, this newsletter includes actionable advice to propel you forward.

I received a text from a friend last week.

She told me some awful news that I wasn’t expecting.

A mutual friend of ours passed away from alcohol addiction. She was in her mid-30s.

Honestly, I’m still in shock. I’ve been struggling to figure out how to process everything.

It simply doesn’t feel real.

She was a happy-go-lucky person who was well-liked, social, and energetic.

I had no idea that she was struggling for a long time. Her disease was well-hidden.

I also know that she was recently laid off.

I do want to be clear that I have no evidence that these two events are correlated.

But I can’t help but wonder if the layoff added to some of her challenges.

A layoff can be an incredibly tough situation for anyone to navigate, no matter your situation.

It can flip your life upside down at a moment’s notice.

That’s why it’s more important now than ever to make sure to have a strong support system and community. And to have valuable resources available if you need them.

Therapy

I’m a big fan of therapy and would highly recommend that everyone has a therapist. But I recognize that this is a personal decision, so you should do what’s best for you.

There are many fantastic resources available for finding a therapist:

• Alma

• BetterHelp

• Headway

• Talkspace

• Talkiatry

If you don’t have insurance and/or the financial obligation is a concern, please know that there are options. HealthyPlace offers links to many free or low-cost mental health services.

I also recommend researching options that are available locally to residents in your city. I live in NYC, so there is a program here called NYC Care that guarantees low-cost and no-cost healthcare services, including mental health, to New Yorkers who don’t qualify for or cannot afford health insurance.

Community

Former Co-workers

If other people were laid off at the same time as you, they may be going through similar struggles.

When I was laid off I reached out to a few former co-workers, some of whom I had never interacted with before. Many of them were thankful and touched that I wanted to connect. I scheduled Zoom calls and met up for coffee with a few people. This helped me to build relationships during a shared difficult experience.

Volunteering

Giving back to those less fortunate can do wonders to improve your happiness and self-esteem. You’ll be surprised at how helping others can in turn help you to feel better. Plus volunteering can be a great way to meet like-minded people.

There are so many different types of volunteer opportunities, from one-off events to long-term, ongoing partnerships. VolunteerMatch is a great site to help you find worthwhile organizations that suit your interests and level of time commitment.

Self-Care

Long Walks

I like to go for a long walk when I’m feeling down. The combination of nature with fresh air and sun always seems to invigorate me.

I know how difficult it can be to get off the couch when you’re just not feeling like being productive. But sometimes a quick 15-20 minute walk is all you need to boost your mood.

I recommend going for a ‘walk and talk’ with a friend. Combining movement with social interaction can elevate the experience to help you feel exponentially better.

Meditation

Meditation can help you to manage anxiety and focus on stress reduction. When you’re not at your best, your thoughts may be scattered. It can be hard to concentrate and be productive. So it’s important to practice techniques of how to calm your mind.

While there are many meditation options, I use the Balance app, which is free for the first year. I now commit to 10 minutes a day, so I’d recommend that to you as a good place to start.

This newsletter issue was very personal for me to write. I started Layoff Lemonade to build a community and to help you through challenging times.

Today, I’m the one who needed the support. I’m grateful to have you here.

Big hugs, Jenny