I lost my job and had to drain my savings. It taught me to lean on people

"Losing my job last year completely upended my sense of self. I'd never been let go before, and I panicked. I'd moved to New York for my job - a communications associate role - and didn't know how I'd continue to live my life without it. I called a friend, and we agreed that after a few hours, I had to stop crying and accept what had happened."

"It was close to the holidays when I was let go, and hiring is usually slow during that time. I decided not to focus too much on my job search right away. I started to go stir-crazy with all the time I suddenly had. I had a lot of thoughts going through my head about whether I was good enough or deserved certain levels of respect at work. It altered my self-perception and put me in a bad place mentally."

"Months later, I'd applied to over 100 jobs, and nothing was working. I withdrew my entire retirement savings just to make ends meet. The journey taught me that if you're not open to people being there for you, they won't be. So open yourself up to it and let them help. I'd never faced unemployment before, and I didn't know what to do with all the time I had."

Keijhon Francis lost her communications associate job after moving to New York, which shattered her sense of self and triggered panic. She spent months applying to over 100 jobs while withdrawing retirement savings to make ends meet. Holiday downtime initially gave her space but also intensified doubts about her competence and respect at work. She used therapy, walks, and frequent conversations with friends to stabilize her mental health. She shifted from mass-applying to a more strategic job search and learned to accept help from others. The experience reinforced resilience, self-worth, and the importance of community during unemployment.

Read at Business Insider