#78: 6 Honest Truths About Being Laid Off

No neatly-packaged highlight reels. Just the honest truth.

Feb 25, 2025

Laid Off Life is a place of respite for the weary workforce. Whether you’re unemployed, underemployed, or just trying to make it through the workday, let this be your 5-minute mental break from the grind of late-stage capitalism.

6 Honest Truths About Being Laid Off

My heart’s with the federal workers getting unceremoniously dumped by the new administration. I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this. You are not alone.

I gagged imagining an email from Elon Musk asking me to list my weekly accomplishments...or lose my job. If you’ve worked in a corporate setting—especially at an executive level during a stock downturn—you know this playbook all too well.

In my last two years at my corporate media job, I had to send weekly bullet points to the overlords detailing the accomplishments of my team. My job wasn’t technically riding on those updates—but let’s be real, it kind of was. Looking back, I realize those emails served two purposes. First, they let the higher-ups pretend they had a finger on the pulse of “the workers.” But second—and more insidiously—it was a subtle form of control. A way to keep us second-guessing our output, constantly measuring our worth, and wondering, Am I doing enough? It fueled constant anxiety. Basically, it was horrible for creativity, productivity, harmony, or anything you’d hope for your workforce.

And honestly? It stinks like hot garbage. I’ve always believed people thrive when they’re trusted and guided—not when they’re living under Big Brother’s productivity tracker.

This culture of performative overachievement doesn’t just vanish when you get laid off. It lingers. It worms its way into how you view your own worth, even when you’re no longer sending those weekly bullet points. And that’s been one of the hardest things to unlearn.

Given all the false bravado that’s been plaguing LinkedIn lately, I’m done with trying to present the perfectly packaged version of my career. So, in that spirit, here are my honest truths about being laid off—two years post-layoff:

1. It’s made me lose my appetite for having a full-time job…

…but damn, I miss the steady paycheck and benefits. Nothing makes you appreciate dental insurance more than your dentist telling you, “Hey, you’re grinding your teeth down. Are you more stressed than usual?” But I now know what those benefits cost me as a human being and the math doesn’t math for me.

My layoff woke me up to my true professional desires and I’m much less willing to discard them for any ‘ol job I can land (not that there are a lot of great jobs out there rn). It would have to be a full-time job that I was really, really jazzed about. I remain skittish about making a long-term commitment to a company. Maybe I’m still traumatized, or maybe that’s just where I’m at. Either way, I’m learning not to judge myself for it.

2. It’s been two years, and I still don’t know what I’m doing with my life.

I don’t want to choose anymore. Please, just tell me how this story ends!!

I thought by now I’d have it well figured out. A clear path, a couple of lucky breaks, a business that’s chugging along, a thriving freelance hustle. I’m on my way for sure. I don’t want to discount the progress I’ve made. But I still feel about as unsettled as I did in my early 20s—just with way more bills and worse hangovers. At this point, I thought I’d feel grounded and secure after my career upheaval. Instead, I feel like I’m reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book that never ends.

3. Imposter syndrome? Still rears its stupid head.

There’s no way Paul Mescal has imposter syndrome, is there?

Despite rising to executive level ranks and having tons of hands-on media industry experience, I still get that creeping anxiety whenever I start working with a new client: “What if I can’t do this?” That feeling hasn’t gone away. And it’s compounded by the fact that I don’t just have one company I work for. I have new ones all the time. I live in that perpetual “first week of work” energy. Feeling comfortable is a thing of the past. And I actually think that’s a positive thing.

4. Sometimes, I actually miss office life.

Not the soul-crushing commutes, the fluorescent lighting, or the mice that broke into my snack drawer, but the co-workers, the casual convos, and yes—the off goss. I’m starved for off goss. Send it my way, please. Even if I’ve never met your co-workers…I’ll listen!

5. I still tie my worth to my career success.

I hate that this is true, but it is. I’m working on it. No matter how much I remind myself that I’m more than my career accolades or the money I earn, there’s still a part of me that craves external validation of “achieving.” Especially when I see peers thriving in their careers while I’m over here trying to spin straw into gold like Rumpelstiltskin.

6. Despite everything, I’m kind of OK.

I’m still navigating a lot of uncertainty. I haven’t “landed” the plane yet. My dentist is concerned about my teeth. But there’s also something so freeing about forging my own path—even if it’s a messy, confusing, teeth-grinding one. Just knowing that there are (hopefully?) more exciting moments to come in my career is enough to keep me motivated…most days.

Have some honest truths about being laid off you want to share? We listen and we don’t judge. Drop a comment below.

Worthy Time Wasters

Here are my recs to combat doom scrolling.

I have a nice, juicy media haul for you today. It’s been arctic cold here and there is an Ami-sized imprint on my couch.

📺 Obviously, I’m watching White Lotus Season 3 (MAX) and I have some theories that I won’t share yet. Also, Parker Posey is making my year. I’m also watching the latest season of Love Is ~~Blind~~ Bland (Netflix)—and yes, it’s living up to the name. I binged Laid (Peacock), a dark comedy about a woman whose former lovers start mysteriously dying. I watched Apple Cider Vinegar (Netflix) about Insta-scammer Belle Gibson, which I would give a B- overall, but Kaitlyn Dever gets an A+. I also caught SNL’s 50th Anniversary Special and Concert (Peacock), which was a nostalgic blast. And the new season of Summer House (Peacock)? It’s getting me through the winter.

🎥 It’s rom com szn. Yay! Recent watches have included Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock), the final installment in the Bridget Jones saga, the Reese Witherspoon/ Will Ferrell vehicle You Are Cordially Invited (Amazon Prime), and Kinda Pregnant (Netflix) starring Amy Schumer. None of them were 10/10 but all had their redeeming moments for gentle escape watching.

🎧 If what you need is a complete mind-blowing, please, please, please check out The Telepathy Tapes podcast. TLDR; It follows a doctor who is researching telepathic abilities in kids with (mostly) non-verbal autism. Not only can these kids read the minds of their caregivers and teachers, but they can communicate with each other telepathically. They meet in a realm they call "The Hill" to communicate with each other. It's not a physical location, it's another frequency. Yeah…

📚 I’ve been into thrillers lately. Two I liked: A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin. If you liked the movie Saltburn, you’re gonna dig this one about a reality TV star who marries into one of the world’s richest families. Also, Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff a twisty turny saga about a famous actress who is cast in a feminist adaptation of the Fitzgerald classic, Tender Is The Night.

Have a question, suggestions, or thoughts? Message me!

Have thoughts about what you read, have suggestions for future topics, or a question you want me to answer? Send me a message! I love to hear from readers.

Become a paid subscriber!

This newsletter is a reader-supported publication. If you enjoy Laid Off Life, consider becoming a paid subscriber. I’m kicking off the New Year with a 2025 Reset special. Subscribe now and get 25% off an annual subscription.