Coping With Job Insecurity: What’s Helping Me Right Now

Job insecurity is real—and exhausting. I’m not pretending to have it all figured out, but here’s what’s helped me stay steady when the raise isn’t coming and the layoff vibes are strong.

For the past year and a half, I’ve been living with the constant, looming possibility of being laid off.

Not just a passing worry—an ever-present, unsettling uncertainty that seeps into everything.

It’s made it hard to plan for the future, hard to relax, and hard to shake the feeling that everything could change overnight.

And in the meantime? I’m still expected to work like nothing is wrong—except now, my workload is more than five times what I was hired to do, and I haven’t had a raise in two years.

Not even an inflation adjustment.

Not only am I expected to do more with less, but I have to constantly prove I’m a “high performer” just to justify keeping my job—a job that may not even exist in a few months.

It’s a lose-lose situation—but it’s also reality. And I know I’m not the only one feeling it right now.

Living in the Unknown and Trying to Stay Sane

For me, this hasn’t just been a work stressor—it’s been a full-body, full-life stressor.

I’m a single parent. Every financial unknown weighs extra heavy because there’s no safety net. My son doesn’t need to feel my stress, but it’s always there in the back of my mind.
I have chronic pain. And stress makes it worse. Anxiety doesn’t just live in my head—it lives in my body. The more I worry, the harder it is to function.
I work full-time, parent full-time, and try to keep my house from crumbling. There’s never enough energy to go around. I wake up tired, I go to sleep tired, and in between, I’m just trying to keep everything from falling apart.
My social life? What social life? Friendships, dating—anything beyond the bare minimum of survival has taken a backseat. I know I need connection, but when everything feels like a juggling act, that’s the first ball to drop.

And through all of this, I still have to show up every day, perform like I’m thriving, and somehow convince myself that this isn’t my forever.

What’s Kept Me (Kinda) Grounded

Focusing on What I Can Control

I can’t stop a layoff if it happens, but I can build something outside of my job. That’s why I started my blog—not because I expect it to magically replace my income overnight, but because I refuse to feel powerless.
I can’t force my body to have unlimited energy, but I can set smaller, realistic goals. Some days, that means one thing gets done. And that has to be enough.

Accepting That Some Seasons Are Just Survival Mode

This isn’t the time to expect myself to be thriving in every area of life. Instead of constantly feeling like I’m “falling behind,” I’ve started asking myself: What actually needs my energy right now? And what can wait?
Some things—house projects, social plans, deep self-improvement—can wait. This season is about getting through, and that’s okay.

Reminding Myself That This Won’t Last Forever

When you’re in it, uncertainty feels never-ending. But things change. They always do.
The job might go away, or it might not. Either way, I will adjust.
I’ve made it through other impossible moments before. This will be one of them someday, too.

If You’re Stuck in Limbo, Too

If you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop, wondering what’s next, just know: You’re not alone.

I don’t know what’s coming next for me, and I don’t know what’s coming next for you—but I do know that we don’t have to let uncertainty take over our entire lives.

Even in the unknown, we can keep moving forward. Even when we don’t have the full picture yet.

Need Support? Here’s Where to Turn

If this feels way too heavy to carry alone, please don’t.

I know firsthand how hard it is to manage stress when you’re expected to keep everything together, but the truth is—you don’t have to do it alone.

Here are some places that might help:

Therapy Options (Even if You’re on a Budget)

BetterHelp — Online therapy that fits around your schedule. Me, I’ve been leaning on my longtime therapist, even though she’s out of network and my out-of-pocket cost is higher.

But it’s been invaluable for my sanity, especially when everything feels all-consuming.
Open Path Collective — A nonprofit network offering affordable, sliding-scale therapy. For a one-time $65 membership fee, you gain access to a network of therapists offering sessions between $40 to $70—significantly lower than traditional therapy rates.

They provide both in-person and online options across the U.S., making mental health support more accessible without needing insurance.
Local Support Groups — Many community centers offer free or low-cost group therapy.

Online Communities & Career Support

r/antiwork & r/careerguidance on Reddit — Sometimes just knowing other people are in the same boat helps.
Layoff-Specific Facebook Groups — Search for your industry + “layoff support” to find others going through the same thing.

If You Need Financial Breathing Room

Check if your company offers free career coaching. Some companies have services available even after layoffs.
Find remote side gigs on Fiverr, Upwork, or We Work Remotely.
Your local unemployment office—even if you haven’t been laid off yet, they often have free resources for career transition planning.

If this post helped you, I hope this can, too: How to Thrive When the World Feels Like Quicksand.

Have you faced job uncertainty recently? How are you handling it? Let’s talk in the comments.