Losing a job is one of the most stressful life events. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. With this in mind, you will need a good action plan in order to recover as quickly as possible from a job loss. The following eight tips will help make sure that recover from a layoff sooner than you think.

Don’t panic: You may have lost your job but you have not lost everything. You are a skilled individual and will work again. Do not ever lose sight of these two simple sentences. Do not let yourself fall into a spiral of negative thinking. Think back to all the other people that you know of that have lost jobs in the past and are now successfully employed.

Reflect and recover: Step back and clear your head. Anger and fear are two of the most common emotions experienced after a job-loss. Neither of them is conducive to clear thinking or good decision-making. Take some time to talk through your feelings of loss with friends and family members. If this does not help, consider the services of a professional counsellor. Sort through your emotional baggage or else risk dragging it with you on your job-search.

Organise your finances: Take a serious look at your spending habits. List out your monthly expenses into two groups - absolutely necessary and optional. If you have already been laid off you should limit your spending to the first category. If you are still employed but fearing what the future may hold, start cutting back in the second category. A general rule of thumb is to keep enough cash to cover at least two months worth of expenses in the bank for emergencies. If you have not had a chance to do so as of the time of termination, you still have options. Don’t forget that most companies offer a severance package to laid off employees.

Update your resume: Take account of all the skills and responsibilities that you have acquired on your last job. Make sure that you include these on your updated resume. And remember this is not the time to be modest; be proud of your accomplishments. If you are unsure on how to lay out or word your resume. Remember that a good resume can often make the difference between being granted an interview or not. Take the time to make your resume shine.

Activate your network: Do not be ashamed that you have been laid off. Tell everyone that you think can help that you are looking for work. This does not mean that you should cry

on the shoulder of anyone that will listen. What this does mean is that you should be prepared to tell friends, family and even acquaintances that you are looking for work, what types of skills you have and the types of jobs that you would be interested in.

Whether you are recently unemployed or are just feeling a bit uncertain about your job security in these tough economic times, tips above can help you to get back on your

feet quickly in the event of a layoff.