Many lives have suddenly been thrown into flux in recent weeks. Being laid off from your role can be a rejuvenating release for some, whilst for others it tunes us into doubt, fear and anxiety.

For those experiencing the latter, please trust that you will come through this, and please ask for and seek out whatever support you need.

To ask for what you need is a radical act of courage.

I experienced a version of this in 2008 amid a 20% round of layoffs at Sony Ericsson that decimated a software industry in the North West of England.

Then in 2018 I created a big identity crisis for myself by choosing something new. I captured my reflections and wrote 2 articles linked in the comments below.

🛟 10 tips to thrive amid big life changes
🛟 9 practices to support you through an identity crisis

The 2008 shift had me trade a short daily commute to the other side of town for a 6-year rota of 2 weeks WFH (remote from my team), 2 weeks working in London, 200 miles away, sleeping on the sofas and floors of friends.

I was in my 40's and thinking "is this it - the peak of my career?"

And then there was an acquisition by Google and moving to New York City and building a production-ready engineering team from the ground up.

It is just possible that recent events are the next steps on a path to something better than you can possibly imagine as you navigate today.

When you journey into the unknown you are on a quest. That requires leadership. It can feel scary, and it can feel exciting.

You can do hard things. Look over your shoulder to your past experiences to remind yourself of all the hard things you can do.