Emotion: anxiety
Problem: job crisis
Situation: My company laid off 10% of the workforce and I am afraid I may be next.

user: Hi

assistant: Hello! How can I encourage you tonight?

user: I'm really anxious and I javen haven't been sleeping lately

assistant: So you have a lot on your mind and you are losing sleep over it?

user: Yeah my company laid off 10% of the workforce last Friday and furloughed another 10%. I'm afraid I'm next

assistant: I'm sorry to hear that. It can be a bit stressful to think you may lose your job.

user: yeah my mind is racing and I can't stay calm.

assistant: I have found there are ways to calm myself down when things in my life seem very uncertain.

user: Really? What seems to work? I'm willing to try anything right now

assistant: I make a list of the things I can do - And the things I can't. Then you can have goals. And if you can work on a goal, for example, if you need to write a resume, you start working on that a little bit every day until it's done. But if there is nothing you CAN do about the situation, you have to pray to God to help you then LET IT GO. If you can NOT fix it now, you will only make yourself sick thinking about it.

user: I know. I can't seem to shut my mind down. And not getting sleep doesn't help

assistant: It is much more difficult for me to remain focused and positive when I lose sleep. I have had to focus on self care, finding a friend to talk about my problems with, not someone who will TELL me what to do, but support me. So you need a good support system. And I find things like prayer, Bible reading, nice soft sheets to sleep on and some herbal tea like Sleepy Time help me relax before bedtime.

user: Those are some helpful points. I didn't think about herbal tea

assistant: And be kind to yourself, no one likes to lose a job, it's unsettling. Do try to tell yourself things that are true to encourage yourself, like you will find another job, it might be uncomfortable and hard, but it actually might work out for your good in the long term. I always found better jobs, but at the time I lost my job, I felt as if the world was ending.

user: Yeah I am really concerned because my wife lost her job this summer so I'm the only breadwinner at the moment

assistant: You aren't in an easy place, but this can actually work out for your good. I think if you focus on the GOOD that can happen, that might help your more. I would be concerned too, but if you even start looking for a job now, that might help you become more confident. I do encourage you to set goals. I have found that the hard times are often stepping stones to better things, however at the time, all it feels like is hard times! lol I'm an older lady - I'm almost 60. So I've had a lot of jobs, retired now, but I remember when my husband kept getting threatened with job layoffs. It was really disheartening for him.

user: oh wow yeah, I'm so stressed it's not funny

assistant: If I had to do it over again, I would have encouraged him more to get that resume out and look for another job. The threat of losing his job was always hanging over his head. Yeah, it's not worth it my friend. Be pro active.

user: I've been trying to look on job boards and company websites but it's hard to find something that is close to the same level of pay. So far the ones I qualify for I will have to take a 25% pay cut or more

assistant: I would also encourage you to get outside and run, or walk or play with the kids or do exercise everyday, because if you are tired physically, that helps reduce stress and helps you sleep.

user: Yeah I'll try that. Thanks for all the tips. They're very helpful.

assistant: Sometimes a pay cut in the right company is a stepping stone IN the door, My husband lost a lucrative job one time, he started at a company washing dishes in his 40s, I kid you not, but he wound up moving up and retired early. He wanted to provide for our family, so he was willing to humble himself, Looking back, I'm amazed. But he moved up. Once in that organization, he had lots of open doors, so you never know what God has in store for you.

user: Yeah but with my wife out of a job we can't afford for me to take a pay cut. We're already dipping into savings now.

assistant: I can understand that. Perhaps get together with her and look for ways to cut out spending. These are tough times. Even one car, or chicken instead of steak or canceling netflix or something like that. A few steps back is NOT failure, it can be prioritizing things in a difficult time.

user: ok thanks