I have absolutely crippling anxiety about getting laid off. I have felt this way at every job I’ve held. I’m not bad at my job. Dare I say I’m even pretty good at it, with the hardware to prove it. I’m an ACD and I’m terrified these insecurities will eventually stall me out before I reach CD.

How do I get over it?

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I always focus on the things I have control over, and not stress about the things I don’t. All you can do is to focus on your job at hand and keep on being good at what you do. I think realizing it isn’t productive to worry about something that is out of your control and has not happen was very liberating for me. Like my therapist told me, focus on today.

Also, if you ever get a chance to try freelancing, you def should. I was lucky and was booked up consistently. Knowing there’s the safety net of freelance made the thought of being paid off not as scary.

Hope my POV helps.

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Keep your book updated in your free time and network network network. I’ve been laid off a few times and it does suck but it’s almost always been a blessing in disguise.

And as my therapist says: don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet.

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honestly the only way for you to get over your fear is to have it happen, and then live through it. then you will see it’s not the end of the world.

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The only way ANY of us, even high paid creatives, get out of this alive is to save and invest your money for the early reaper. We cant live like everyone else we see out there sadly - you ned FU money when the time comes. Learn to be frugal and delay/avoid purchases that attempt to keep up with the proverbial upper middle class Joneses (nice cars, nice houses, nice things). I am 42 and im about 5 years out from my FU number. Took a decade and a lot of pretending I was poor, but thats how I go to bed with a smile on my face vs what you are feeling. Start this transformation right this second if you are in the former spending group. Read personal finance books, podcasts etc.

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I feel you. I am the same. Fear keeps me from being able to confidently stick my neck out and stand by my decisions, which I think is crucial to becoming a CD. I strongly believe there is a point where confidence and conviction become even more important than talent. You are not alone in these thoughts. If you figure it out, let me know.

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Save your money. Create or update your website and resume. Start connecting with colleagues and people whose work you admire - use Linked In on your desktop - and use the “add note” feature when connecting. Go to social functions. All you can do is be prepared. It happens to all of us. If you haven’t been laid off at least once, you haven’t been in the ad biz for very long. At least this way you are ready to freelance asap until or if you want another staff job.

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Go check out The Beast in the Jungle from your local library

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I just kept mantraing into my head that when I do get laid off, or fired, I will wake up the next day all the same. The sun will rise. The birds will sing. And I will still have my entire life ahead of me and I’ll figure it out. There are far scarier things to wake up to than being unemployed.

Also, it’s worth reminding yourself, that you are there for a reason. That the people that hired you, continue to employ you for a reason. That the people you work with, continue to work with you for a reason, if you weren’t good at your job you wouldn’t have lasted more than a week. but the fact that you are there and thriving says that you are doing far better than you are giving yourself credit for.

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Start a savings account make sure you’re prepared if it happens. I’ve gotten laid off multiple times it happens to the best of us, all you can do is to be prepared

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Once it happens, especially when you had done nothing to bring it on, you will recover.

Having said that, I feel like those who are afraid of being let go do more to keep themselves around.

Stop fearing and start assuming you’ll be laid off. Know you’ll be laid off. Embrace being laid off. Now, what will you do differently? Save money. Network now for possible openings/opportunities should the axe fall. Act with confidence knowing you’ll be laid off and you’ll be the better for it in the long run.

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