We should normalize talking about lay-offs.
They happen more and more often, and they’ll keep happening given today’s volatile market.It’s not something we like, but it’s something we need to stay realistic about.
Even so, lay-offs are still seen as a taboo topic. And the people most affected, the employees, often end up tying the experience to their self-worth.
If you’ve gone through, are going through, or will one day face a lay-off, remind yourself: it has nothing to do with who you are, the knowledge you’ve built, or your value as a person. It’s just an event. An impactful one, yes, but still just an event.
I often compare it to a break-up. You go through the same stages, the same mix of emotions.
This year, I was part of a lay-off wave myself.
And as a manager, having led large teams over the past many years, unfortunately, I’ve also been on the other side: the one delivering the news.
What I’ve learned is that your attitude and perspective in that moment make all the difference. For yourself, not for the company. Here, we talk about you.
This made me sit down and write about my own lay-off experience: what it meant to me, how I navigated through it, what helped me, and some tips that might help you.
This is not science. It’s simply my personal experience. My hope is that it helps you move through such moments more easily and that it contributes to normalizing conversations around lay-offs as a natural part of professional life.
Just like getting hired, or switching jobs, a lay-off can be part of the journey. It’s just a phase.
Every experience is different, but how you choose to approach it can change everything.
You might read this and think, “I relate 100%.” Or maybe you’ll have an “Aha” moment. Or you might even think, “She’s crazy.” And that’s okay, we’re human, and we’re different.
For me, it all started with the classic “Quick Sync” call.
I had seen lay-offs before in the company, and I had unfortunately been the one to deliver such news myself, so I already knew what that type of invite meant.
Here’s a crucial point: you can either panic, act out of fear and despair or you can gather yourself and stay strategic.
From that moment, you know there’s no way back. It’s all about getting the answers that matter and negotiating. This is where you become your main priority.
Since I still had a few hours before the call, I used them. I did some research, reviewed the laws and my rights, and wrote down my questions.
When the call came, I was calm and clear-headed. I asked the questions that mattered.
Most HR teams try to act with empathy in these discussions. Sometimes they don’t have all the answers right away and that’s normal. From a legal perspective, they need to confirm with the company’s lawyers before committing.
That’s why it’s so important to recap everything at the end of the call: the key points discussed, the open questions, and the agreements. Then, ask for a follow-up email confirming all this, and a second follow-up once they have the answers. Also, try to define ETAs as much as possible. This gives you more peace of mind while you wait.
Now, you can move into processing your emotions. This is something you should never disregard. It’s another key point.
Even though I knew very well that lay-offs happen, nothing prepares you for waking up and finding one on your calendar.
My call was in the evening. After it ended, I felt the need to cry, but also the need to talk to someone. So I called my sister.
It’s very important to talk about it. You’re not alone, and you shouldn’t feel alone. You don’t need to go public, but reach out to your trusted circle. Share.
Another thing that helped me enormously was journaling. I wrote down my thoughts, my feelings, and how I saw the situation. Here’s a glimpse:
“I cry a lot and I think that’s just my way of letting it out, of expressing my feelings.
It’s probably grief, grieving for a big chapter of my life that’s ending. And I don’t just mean my current company, but overall… maybe this feels like a finish line for me in the corporate world. […]
I feel like things are happening for my highest good. I feel like this might be the change I actually needed in my life. Maybe this is the push I didn’t even know I needed.
I know that whatever comes next will be better than anything that’s been so far. I don’t know yet what’s ahead, I don’t know which direction I’ll take, but what feels amazing is the peace, the fact that I’m not worried.”
Letting out your emotions is so important. If you keep everything in your head, it’s still there, you keep thinking about it, and like a snowball rolling downhill, it only gets bigger.
When you start writing, you give your emotions space to be processed and released. The intensity decreases.
Afterwards, I had to choose: was I going to stay home and cry, or carry on with my life?
If you know me even a little, you know I love dancing bachata. That evening there was an event I usually attend. Should I stay or should I go? There was no real reason to stay. So I went
This is another important lesson: don’t give up on your hobbies, on the things that light you up. That’s where your energy comes from and you need it more than ever in times like these.
The next day it was time to put my strategic hat back on. This is a critical period, and it’s so important to stay clear-headed so you can make the best out of it.
I contacted my insurance company. (Side note: proactively, as a preventive measure, you can get an insurance policy that covers legal advice in certain circumstances. I had one for about a year, and I highly recommend it. It gives you peace of mind, confidence, saves you from high lawyer fees, and, most importantly, gives you access to expert advice when you need it most.)
Within a few days, the insurance company connected me with a lawyer. We spoke, and I gave him the background of my situation.
That same day, I also reached out to people I knew who had gone through the same experience. They were an incredible resource. For me, it was gold. I got so much clarity and peace of mind.
Hearing someone else’s story (how they navigated it, what helped them) reassures you that you are not the only one, and that there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Your brain may try to fabricate stories, but hearing others’ voices balances that.
I also continued to read up on the law and my rights. There are plenty of resources out there that can help you. You do have rights and some of them might surprise you in a positive way.
As the days went by, I started to gain more clarity. It’s important to stay in touch with your lawyer, to ask questions, to keep the conversation alive. They can help.
The hardest part is the waiting, the uncertainty of how it will end, what the settlement will look like, what the final amount will be.
When you receive the first settlement agreement from your company, you send it to your lawyer, loop them into the conversation, and from there they continue the discussion with the company’s lawyer. They’ll consult you before replying.
This becomes a back-and-forth negotiation until both parties reach a final agreement and sign. In my case, it took about a month and a half. It can take more or less, depending on your situation.
The moment you sign, the relief is incomparable.
Now you know the details, the timeframe, the money and you can finally plan your next move.
After this, I took time to disconnect. By far, the best decision I could have made.
Earlier this year, before any of this happened, I had it planned to work for 1 month from Valencia, Spain. After the lay-off, the question was: Should I still go? Once everything was settled, I chose to go, not to work, but to disconnect.
Best decision ever.
It’s so important to take the time to disconnect if you can. Change the environment. Change who and what surrounds you. Spend more time with yourself in the unknown. Rediscover who you are and what you want.
Initially, I thought I would apply for jobs right after I arrived. But it felt forced. I was putting so much pressure on myself. That’s when I decided to let go, go with the flow, and just enjoy the month. I told myself I’d decide what’s next once I got back home. That choice, to pause and let things unfold, was pure therapy.
During this whole time, I became more and more aware of the unexpected benefits of the lay-off.
I liked my job. I didn’t plan for a lay-off. It came out of nowhere. But strangely enough, it felt right.
As my weeks in Valencia passed, clarity came. In my last week there, I felt it strongly: I wasn’t going back to the corporate world as an employee.
I felt so deeply connected to my mission, to my coaching business, that I knew it was time to make it my number one priority. I’ve always believed each of us has a mission in this life and mine became impossible to ignore.
For years I had been doing coaching alongside my corporate career, but never as my main focus. This time, the time has come. And it felt so good.
When I came back home, the decision was made and everything felt aligned and in sync. This is the power of disconnecting in order to reconnect.
You reconnect with yourself. You start listening to that whisper inside. And when you stop forcing things, when you stop acting from an unbalanced place, life begins to unfold and reveal what’s best for you.
But you need courage to accept it, to take the risk, to face the unknown.
You won’t know what’s waiting for you at the finish line. You have to live each day, take action, and trust the process even when it’s hard or when results aren’t immediate.
It’s crazy, but sometimes uncertainty itself gives you freedom.
And that’s why, today, I call my lay-off one of the best things that could have happened to me.
A lay-off can also be a wake-up call. A kick you didn’t know you needed. For me, it brought me closer to my passion, my mission, and my people.
During the years, as a people manager, I witnessed so many different reactions: shock, people asking “Why me?”, single moms worrying about paying rent on their own, men questioning how to protect their families, people filled with anger, others breaking down in tears, and some who stayed very rational and composed.
It’s never personal. And you should never take it personally.
A job is part of a business, not a family. Businesses go through phases. As the market changes, the business needs to adapt. At some point, decisions are made based on what’s right for the business, not for you personally (cruel, I know). Sometimes these decisions are tough, but they still need to be made.
This doesn’t mean I’m emotionless, or that I support lay-offs as an acceptable “trend.” It is just the reality of the business world and you have to stay realistic too.
I could go into a whole discussion about poor leadership, short-sighted decisions, or companies like Apple that have a no-layoff approach. But that’s a different conversation altogether, there are countless business models and circumstances that shape outcomes.
What I want to emphasize is that a lay-off is not about your self-worth. It’s about a company’s strategy.
Every job comes with risk. No one guarantees that when you’re hired, you’ll retire from that same company.
Think of it like investments. You invest your money hoping for a favorable return. But who can guarantee it? No one. Not even the most prestigious investors.
Will you feel frustrated if you lose money? Most likely, yes. But what do you do next? Give up or look for new opportunities? It’s always a choice.
The same goes for jobs and companies. The difference is that the “currencies” you invest here are your time and energy.
Now, if you’ve ended up in this situation, your company went south, the return isn’t what you expected, and you’re facing a lay-off, the question is: what will you do next?
I deeply understand how hard this period is. But I also know how important it is to stay clear-headed and strategic.To navigate each day knowing your priorities, without acting out of fear. The first two months after a lay-off are critical. They shape your approach and your next steps.
These were the top DOs and DON’Ts that helped me in the first weeks:
Top DOs:
- Let yourself feel: Grieve. Be mad. Be numb. Whatever it is, it’s valid. You don’t have to bounce back in 48 hours.
- Protect your energy: You’re not obligated to take 10 calls explaining what happened. Choose who you share with and when.
- Get clarity on your rights and exit details: Check laws, severance, benefits, end date, unused vacation days. Consulting a lawyer might be helpful as well.
- Write down what you want next: Before you start applying to random jobs, take a moment. What do YOU actually want next?
- Talk to someone who’s been through it: Not for advice, just to be reminded you’re not alone. It helps you feel part of the community.
Top DON’Ts:
- Don’t rush into job hunting right away: Unless you have to, give yourself time to breathe before reacting.
- Don’t equate your layoff with your worth: It was a decision about a role, not a verdict on your value.
- Don’t disappear completely: You don’t need to post on LinkedIn, but stay connected. Community matters. Continue to follow your hobbies.
- Don’t ignore your finances: Make a short-term money plan. Clarity will give you comfort.
- Don’t assume this is the end of your story: You’re in a hard chapter. Not the last one.
Your wellbeing and health are the foundation. If you have those, you can rebuild and make anything happen.
Think back to the hardest moment you’ve gone through before. You made it through. You found solutions.
So yes, it’s okay if right now it feels overwhelming, if you can’t see the solution yet. Just remember: there is always a solution. You’ve found one before. You’ll find one again.
Be patient and kind with yourself. That’s key.
In a few months, this will just be history.
You’ll be enjoying a new chapter of your life, building it step by step. It’s okay not to have all the answers right now.
My own experience and seeing so many dear ones go through lay-offs inspired me to create From Let Go to Let’s Go, a high-intensity, 1:1 coaching program designed to help you process the emotional impact, rebuild your confidence, and discover what’s next for you.
If you need it, or if someone dear to you is going through this phase, here are all the details about the coaching program:
I truly hope more people will start sharing their experiences openly.
Because this is not about failure, shame, or self-worth.
It’s just another professional challenge. Another phase.
And remember: how you look at it can change, even reshape your entire experience.
