Navigating Redundancy: Understanding Your Journey
Redundancy is a significant life event that often unfolds in predictable emotional and practical stages. Understanding these stages can help you normalise and process your experience, manage expectations, and move forward effectively.
Understanding the Change Cycle in Redundancy
The process of adjusting to redundancy often mirrors the stages of coping with a major life transition. Understanding these phases can help you acknowledge your feelings and proactively manage your journey. You may recognise some or all of the below - that is normal, we all receive and adapt to changes very differently and at different speeds. there is no right or wrong way.
1. Shock & Denial
This initial stage acts as a protective response, allowing you to gradually process the overwhelming news of redundancy.
Key Characteristics:
Emotional numbness: Feeling disconnected or "frozen" upon hearing the news, or experiencing conflicting emotions like grief and relief.
Information filtering: Difficulty absorbing or remembering details about the redundancy package, timeline, or next steps.
Minimisation: Thinking, "It's not that serious" or "This won't change anything" about your career or financial future.
Business as usual/Denial: Continuing pre-redundancy behaviours or routines, despite the impending change.
Seeking multiple opinions: Constantly looking for alternative solutions, hoping the decision will be reversed or that you'll receive a different outcome.
Why This Stage Matters: This protective response gives you time to gradually process life-changing information. Without this buffer, the emotional impact might be overwhelming.
Moving Forward: You'll know you're beginning to move beyond this initial stage when:
You can discuss your redundancy without feeling completely detached.
Emotions about your situation begin to surface more clearly, and you can describe your feelings.
You feel ready to process more information.
Remember: This stage is temporary but necessary. Each person's timeline through this phase is different, trust your process.
Do:
Give yourself permission to process at your own pace.
Allow trusted others to help retain important information.
Start small journals or notes about your experience.
Focus on one day at a time.
Avoid:
Forcing yourself to "accept everything now".
Making major life decisions during this phase.
Judging yourself for not "being stronger".
Isolating yourself completely from support.
2. Resistance and Emotion
These emotional responses, while challenging, are vital processing tools. They acknowledge real losses and help you gradually adjust to your new reality.
Key Characteristics:
Anger: Feeling frustrated, resentful, or asking "Why me?" about the redundancy.
Bargaining: Thinking, "If I had just tried harder/networked more/learned new skills, maybe I could have prevented this or the opposite and I can find a new job immediately that's just like my old one".
Grief: Mourning your previous sense of stability, routine, professional identity, and lost connections.
Anxiety: Worrying about your financial future, career prospects, and overall life path.
Emotional volatility: Experiencing rapid shifts between different emotions related to your situation.
Testing limits: Pushing boundaries to prove you're not as limited by the redundancy as you fear (e.g., over-applying for jobs, neglecting self-care).
Why This Stage Matters: These emotional responses, while challenging, are vital processing tools. They acknowledge real losses and help you gradually adjust to your new reality. This stage can help build resilience.
Moving Forward: You'll know you're beginning to move beyond this initial stage when:
You can experience emotions without being completely overwhelmed by them.
You begin to feel curious about how to adapt to your new circumstances rather than just resistant.
You have moments of acceptance alongside ongoing difficult emotions.
You're more willing to learn about new opportunities and possible adaptations.
Remember: Emotional processing isn't linear. You may revisit these feelings throughout your journey, but they typically become less intense and shorter lived over time.
Do:
Acknowledge all emotions without judgment.
Create safe outlets for expression (e.g., journaling, talking to trusted friends or family, support groups).
Distinguish between feelings and actions. Emotions are all valid; not all responses are helpful.
Rest when emotions become overwhelming.
Avoid:
Suppressing emotions (they'll resurface later, often more powerfully).
Making major decisions based solely on emotional reactions.
Using unhealthy coping mechanisms to numb feelings.
Isolating yourself from support or comparing your emotional response to others.
3. Exploration and Adjustment (The Messy Middle)
This experimental phase builds your toolkit for navigating life post-redundancy. Each adjustment, whether successful or not, provides valuable information about your new capabilities and potential paths. This phase can see highs and lows of energy levels - it’s important to see this as a creative experimental stage to minimise risks of low energy and feelings of rejection moving towards depression.
Key Characteristics:
Constructive information-seeking: Looking for useful resources for job searching, skill development, financial planning, or career retraining.
Experimentation: Trying different approaches to job applications, networking, managing your time, and exploring new career avenues.
Cautious hope: Beginning to envision a meaningful life and career despite the change.
Adaptation: Making practical changes to daily routines, budgeting, and job search strategies.
Mixed feelings: Experiencing moments of acceptance alongside lingering grief or frustration.
Why This Stage Matters: This experimental phase builds your toolkit for living well through redundancy. Each adjustment, whether successful or not, provides valuable information about your new boundaries and capabilities.
Moving Forward: You'll know you're beginning to move beyond this initial stage when:
You've established several reliable adaptations that work for you in your job search and daily life.
Explaining your situation and needs feels more natural.
You can find meaning and positive aspects within your new reality (e.g., time for personal projects, skill development).
Your identity is expanding beyond your previous job role.
Adjustments begin to feel like normal life rather than special accommodations.
Think about how you can fill your losses identified earlier in the process - E.G. If you felt a loss around having an impact on people - you could consider volunteering to fill that loss in the short term.
Remember: This phase is about progress, not perfection. Successful exploration isn't about finding perfect solutions; it's about building flexibility and self-knowledge.
Do:
Approach change as a series of small experiments.
Celebrate adaptation victories, however small.
Connect with others who understand the redundancy experience (e.g., support groups, former colleagues).
Begin establishing sustainable pacing and boundaries for your job search and self-care.
Practice explaining your needs clearly to others (e.g., time needed for interviews, emotional support).
Avoid:
Expecting perfect adaptations immediately.
Overcommitting to new routines before testing them thoroughly.
Comparing your adaptations or job search progress to others with similar experiences.
4. Acceptance and Integration
Integration allows you to move forward with your life while acknowledging redundancy as something you have experienced, not your identity. This balance creates space for well-being despite ongoing challenges.
Key Characteristics:
Reduced emotional charge: Discussing your redundancy with less intense feelings.
Natural incorporation: New routines, job search strategies, and self-care practices become routine rather than exceptional.
Clearer boundaries: More confidence in communicating your needs and limitations regarding job search efforts or personal time.
Selective energy investment: Prioritising what truly matters to you within your changed circumstances.
Wisdom to share: Ability to support others facing similar situations.
Realistic perspective: Understanding that occasional setbacks (e.g., job rejections) are normal, accidental, or emotional.
Why This Stage Matters: Integration allows you to move forward with your life while acknowledging redundancy as something that happened, not your identity. This balance creates space for well-being despite ongoing challenges.
Continuing Your Journey: Even in acceptance, you may find:
You may occasionally revisit earlier phases during stressful times or new challenges.
Your adaptations may need adjustment as circumstances evolve (e.g., starting a new job, new financial situation).
New challenges will arise that require drawing on your established coping skills.
Your understanding of what it means to live well continues to develop.
Do:
Establish sustainable boundaries and practices as non-negotiable parts of the new way you do life (e.g. dedicated job search hours, regular exercise).
Revisit and refine your adaptations as needed.
Consider how your experience might benefit others.
Recognise and celebrate how far you've come.
Allow your definition of "normal" to evolve.
Avoid:
Expecting permanent stability (some variation is natural).
Becoming rigid about routines when flexibility is needed.
Comparing your "new normal" to your pre-redundancy life.
Dismissing occasional need for additional support.
Essential Strategies to Support Your Redundancy Journey
1. Communication Blue-Print
Structured approach to explanations: Develop clear and concise ways to discuss your redundancy with others - especially for job interviews.
Tailored guidance for different contexts: Adapt your communication for different situations (e.g., job interviews, social gatherings, family discussions).
2. Energy Audit
Check in with yourself on a regular basis across the 5 energy types and replenish accordingly
Physical
Mental
Emotional
Social
Spiritual
3. The Support Network Map
Visual mapping exercise with four concentric circles: Draw circles representing your closest support, good friends/family, acquaintances/community, and professional help.
Comprehensive coverage of different support types: Identify who provides emotional, practical, financial, or professional support during this time.
Guidance on making effective requests: Learn how to ask for help clearly and specifically.
Maintaining healthy support relationships: Understand how to nurture and appreciate your support system.
Quick Reflection Exercise:
Take a moment to consider:
Which phase of the change cycle resonates most with your current experience of redundancy?
What one adjustment could make your daily life more manageable this week in light of your redundancy?
Who is one person you could share this guide with to help them understand your experience better?
If this resonated with you and you would like to chat, please use the ‘Book a Conversation’ link at the top of this page and we can chat further.