😡Redundancy Rage – is it a help or a hindrance? 😡
Rage isn’t an emotion you experience often in a corporate environment (at least it shouldn’t be) but it’s an emotion that many people do experience when they are told they’ve been made redundant. And whilst most of us manage to keep our professional heads on while we’re in the office or talking to colleagues I’m sure I won’t be alone in saying that when I was at home on my own I was really angry. Sure I could rationally explain the situation to myself and tell myself that it wasn’t personal, it was the role that was being made redundant, not me, but the emotion that I felt was anger.
⚡Rage is a strong emotion and it can be a powerful energy to harness and drive you forward. You might find yourself leaping straight into updating your CV, applying for jobs, looking at training and posting on LinkedIn to try and find that next amazing opportunity that will allow you to take the cash, walk out the door and stick a proverbial 2 fingers up to your employer. The powerful energy that you have might feel great at the time but there are dangers in riding this particular wave.
⚠️ Rage might be powerful but it’s not stable.
We can all think of decisions we’ve taken when we’re angry that we’ve regretted later. And if we’re honest, decisions taken in anger are probably more often regretted than not. If your job-hunting motivation is more driven by a desire to stick those 2 fingers up than it is to find the best option for you then you might leap into something that’s not a great option, lured purely by a salary figure or a job title.
⚠️Rage is a transitory emotion – it will pass.
This powerful emotion consumes a lot of energy and whilst you might feel unstoppable when it’s at its peak, the reality is that you can’t sustain it for long. Many people find that the trough they fall into once the spike has passed is a desolate one of despair and lethargy. In a redundancy scenario this can affect your confidence as well as your motivation and suddenly the job search becomes harder on both fronts.
❓So what should you do with the rage you are feeling
If it’s natural to feel angry, but dangerous to let it rule you, how should you be handling that rage?
Here are my 3 tips:
1️⃣ Acknowledge & accept it
Rage IS a completely understandable response to being told you’re being made redundant. Don’t suppress it and don’t ignore it. Find ways to let it out that are healthy and not harmful. You could:
- Write a list of all the things you are angry about then rip it up & bin it
- Do some form of exercise that enables you to release any pent-up energy. It could be a tough gym workout or just throwing the ball for the dog!
- Choose someone you really trust and tell them. Being listened to will validate your feelings.
2️⃣Check & challenge yourself
As we know, choices made in anger are often ones we regret, so put in place things that help you avoid that pitfall. If you’ve written an email to your boss telling them exactly what you think, save it to your drafts and re-read it tomorrow. If you have that trusted person in your life, tell them what you are thinking about doing before you take action. Whether it’s a spur of the moment post on social media or a job application, talking it through with someone else will give you a different perspective and help you think twice before you do something rash.
3️⃣Swap it for a more positive emotion
When you feel rage building, remember that it’s not the most helpful emotion, and choose one that will help you. Great ones to pick are:
- Motivation – stop thinking about the anger and think about the things you want to do next to help you move on. Reframing the emotion that drives your actions will help you sustain motivation AND use it in a positive way.
- Confidence – if you are angry that you’re not wanted anymore turn it around to focus on why they are crazy to be letting you go. Feel good about your achievements, strengths and skills and take that positivity into your job applications and interviews. Potential employers will spot anger and bitterness a mile-off in an interview and whilst they might understand it, just think how much better they will respond to someone who is choosing a positive mindset instead.
Using these three tips will help you experience rage in a healthy way that should keep you safe from any rash decisions. And remember, like many strong emotions, it may resurface from time to time, it’s not a once-and-done feeling, especially in a redundancy process that may take time to complete. The most important thing is to recognise when you are feeling angry and decide how best to handle it.
It’s also worth stopping and thinking about how you want to be remembered by your colleagues when you leave. In many professions, the circles we move in are surprisingly small and well-connected. Who knows when you may encounter someone again, in different circumstances. Do you want to be remembered as the person who lashed out and took their rage out on others? Or the person who was clearly angry but controlled themselves and used their anger for motivation and positive action? Who would you rather remember? Or work with?