Verified by 
Anxiety
5 Steps to Ease Anxiety About Job Loss
If you're anxious about losing your job, consider these behavior therapy steps.
Posted February 16, 2025 Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
Key points
- The key to overcoming fear and anxiety from job loss is learning how to regain positive control, step by step.
- Behavior therapy helps you strategically structure the path forward, one day at a time, one thought at a time.
- Here you'll learn how to stop all the "what if" thinking and see the closed door as a golden opportunity.
John and Cindy sat on the couch, watching the evening news. The anchor reported another round of layoffs hitting multiple industries and government agencies. Cindy sighed. "Hey, what if that happens to us, what would we do?" she asked, shifting uneasily and feeling super anxious.
John tried to brush it off; “Nah, we’re fine,” and changed the channel. But the thought stuck hard as he said to himself, “Yeah, what if we did lose our jobs? How would we pay the bills? What would we do?” Increasing anxiety set in—tight chest, racing heart, sweaty palms, rapid breathing, restless thoughts, messed-up concentration. It was fear of the unknown, a fear of losing control that gripped them both.
More than ever, almost every day on the news it seems we hear nonstop stories of hundreds and thousands of people suddenly facing the trauma of job loss. Layoffs. Firings. Job eliminations. These reports are triggering major anxiety and even panic in people all over the country.
Until recently, most people didn’t give job loss a second thought. “Whoa! What would we do if I lost my job and there was no paycheck coming in?” That kind of “what if” reality-jolt can really bring on a flood of fears and doubts.
If you’ve ever faced this kind of financial uncertainty, you know all about that painful stress. But behavior therapy offers a proven and practical way to manage the anxiety so you can regain control. Here’s how.
1. Recognize and challenge catastrophic thinking
Losing a job feels like falling off a cliff. Your mind spirals into worst-case scenarios: homelessness, bankruptcy, failure. But fear distorts reality. The first step is to recognize catastrophic thoughts and challenge them. Behavioral therapy calls this cognitive restructuring—rewriting the narrative in a more balanced way.
Dr. David Burns, author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, emphasizes that "our thoughts create our emotions." By restructuring negative assumptions, we can reduce anxiety and improve decision-making.
Action Step: Write down your worst fears about job loss. Then, write a rational counterstatement. Examples:
- “I’ll never find another job.” → “I’ve found work before, and I can do it again.”
- “I won’t be able to pay the rent.” → “I have emergency savings and other options to explore.”
2. Control what you can, release what you can't
Uncertainty breeds anxiety. The mind wants guarantees, but life doesn’t work that way. Instead of dwelling on what’s out of your control, focus on what you can control.
Action Step: Make a “control vs. no control” list.
- Control: Updating your resume, applying for jobs, talk to a recruiter, networking with others in your field, create a new budget.
- No Control: How long the job search takes, whether a company calls back, job market is tight.
By shifting focus, anxiety decreases. You regain a sense of power over your life and feel more in control, even over the “What if…”s.
3. Act, don't freeze: Get proactive, not passive
Anxiety can sometimes make you feel paralyzed. It’s called “analysis paralysis.” But in behavior therapy, action precedes motivation and feelings of security. The best way to combat fear is to take small, forward-moving, positive steps.
Action Step: Set a daily job-loss recovery plan. Examples:
- Apply for three jobs per day online.
- Reach out to two professional contacts.
- Spend one hour learning a new skill or updating LinkedIn.
Taking action disrupts fear and creates a momentum of confidence. As psychologist Dr. Russell Barkley says, “The greatest enemy of success is not failure but boredom and stagnation.” Keep moving forward with a structured plan of action.
4. Replace panic with constructive structure
Job loss removes daily structure, which can increase fear ruminations, stress and depression. Behavior therapy emphasizes establishing planned, deliberate routines as a stabilizing force.
Action Step: Build a new daily schedule. Examples:
- Morning: Exercise, read motivational books, meditation, job applications.
- Afternoon: Skill-building, networking, freelance work, brainstorm starting online business.
- Evening: Rest, family time, read motivational books, positive distractions.
Dr. Judson Brewer, neuroscientist and author of Unwinding Anxiety, explains that our brains latch onto habits during stressful times. By introducing productive routines, we can retrain our minds to reduce worry and increase resilience.
Predictability set in motion by you soothes the nervous system. The more structure you create, the less room anxiety has to grow.
5. Reframe job loss as transition, not failure
How you label this experience shapes your emotional response. Instead of seeing job loss as the end, redefine it as a transition. Many people land better jobs, start their own business, or find unexpected opportunities after setbacks that they would never discover if they hadn’t lost that job. Think of every setback as a “setup” that will set you free.
Action Step: Write a new empowering life narrative. Example:
- “This is a total disaster.” → “This is a turning point moving me into new opportunities!”
- “I’ve lost everything.” → “I’m gaining a whole new direction I’d never have discovered if that door hadn’t been closed and I’m excited to see that new door open!”
Feelings are rooted in the thoughts that produce them. When you write out the kind of motivational statements, we just showed you, always use words that empower and give hope. We call it choosing “fragrance” not “odor.”
In a nutshell: If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you
Winston Churchill once said, “Success is struggling from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. “ Fear of loss or losing your job can trigger that chain reaction of success for your life as that one closed door challenges you to discover that better open door of opportunity.
Losing a job is also scary, but fear is temporary. Your ability to adapt is what lasts. By using behavior therapy strategies—challenging thoughts, taking action, building structure, and reframing perspective—you can reduce anxiety and move forward with confidence. You are not powerless. You are in transition. And with the right mindset, transitions lead to transformation.
You don't have to face this alone: Seeking solution-focused, short-term help in therapy can also speed up the transition and transformation process. Consider reaching out for professional help to make the path ahead a whole lot easier.
To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
