“The Upside of Being Laid Off? Ok, whoever wrote this article must be a paid actor for my old company.” Or maybe you aren’t thinking exactly that, but something to that effect when you read the title of this article. I get it. Trying to put a positive spin on something that upends your entire life sounds like a corporate HR manager putting a happy spin on awful news that you know is BS.

Sometime in late 2020, I found myself becoming more and more frustrated with looking through my social media feeds. Here I was, stuck at home after having to cancel multiple international trips that year (that darn Coronavirus), while looking at a feed filled with influencers who were still taking lavish vacations that apparently ignored every social distancing rule. I was beyond irritated. I was scrolling through my phone trying to understand why I was out all of this money

If you have landed on this article, chances are you are grappling with a pretty major decision right now: To vacation or not to vacation: that is the question. You have everything planned out. Hotels confirmed, flights booked, and you (or you and your family) are already jazzed about getting out of town for a little while. Then the worst happens. You get the dreaded layoff call.

Not to mention, I had worked my way up and spent the last 10 years learning the ins and outs of everything we did. I couldn't seriously be thinking of throwing all of that effort away to start somewhere new, could I? In the end, I did make the leap. And now, looking back, it was the best decision I have made for my career, as I went to a company with a positive growth outlook that is actually serious about investing in an employee's career growth.

I will admit it: I love to spend money. If I am bored and out and about in a city, I might start ducking into local shops to see if there is anything I “need” inside. If I hear anyone throw out the word “happy hour,” I am the first to ask when we are going. This desire to spend money to have fun is not actually a problem in some cases (experiences over things, for example), but it becomes a lot more difficult when there is no longer an inflow of money to speak of.