It has been a widely excruciating season of layoffs for companies across sectors and industries since early 2022. With over 4 million jobseekers impacted, 200K and counting in the tech industry alone, one could only imagine what that could mean for individuals going forward. One thing that is for certain and glaringly so is that the toll it has on mental health can be severe.
“I had low energy…not a lot of pep in the morning. My get up and go just got up and went before I got up." Mhyrynde Noa said in the most recent episode of the Layoff podcast. Her experience also being echoed by guest Giana Petrichella and Founder, Marissa Alonzo-Ackerman in their story episodes.
"I am not immune to the mental struggles, feeling of inadequacy, and worrying about my finances...,"said Petrichella in Episode 2 when chatting about what it was like navigating a layoff.
With several more jobseeker stories to go in the series and additional bonus episodes in store, host Marissa Alonzo-Ackerman began to wonder how and where could jobseekers find resources for the mental health impact seen during these times.
Turning to Google searches, searches through LinkedIn, and asking around her network and support groups, Alonzo-Ackerman found that most of the support out there was being garnered and tracked by individuals that were also wading the waters of layoff season with no direct services for mental health shared in sight. Many of the online articles found were geared towards employers who were implementing layoffs and how to cope and not the other way around.
"It's really hard. You feel like you are on an island by yourself at times, but then you see the green banner on LinkedIn and you know you are not. If you are not speaking with them constantly, though, it can feel this way," said Alonzo-Ackerman in Episode 3.
When digging in further, the host found that most additional articles found that advice geared towards jobseekers was inefficient. Sentiments like "focus on self-care or seek mental health support", although no links to those avenues existed that were not costly for those that do not have income, were offered which didn't take finances or lack thereof in mind. “Be sure you do self care, do what gives you joy, but there is no joy because your mind is constantly ticking," said Noa when speaking about how she deals with the depression while trying to look for work.
Mental health crises already were on the rise after the pandemic but one could only wonder what this means for people as time wears on. With lackluster movements towards standardized universal healthcare or any semblance of one, we wonder if this will affect and inundate an already broken system.
As a team here at The Layoff Podcast we want to hear from you. Do you feel as if you have been supported in your recent layoff, or are you looking to tap into and find resources for mental health and related situations? For those that work in the field—where are the resources gathered and are the accessible? Comment below or chat with us directly at www.thelayoffpod.com/contact
We aim to provide our listeners and subscribers a comprehensive list and hope that this article spearheads a movement to pull and share items that people may not know but will help them tremendously. If you are a mental healthcare provider that would like to offer general advice that would be helpful to our listeners with links to support documents and consultations, we would love to have you on the show and urge you to reach out at the website above. To catch up on the series, find us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts. To be a guest, go here.
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