Hi friend,

Sundays in 2023 are weird for most - if you’re not anxious about going back to work tomorrow, chances are you’re facing a new type of scary: unemployment or the fear of a looming layoff. So I’m curious..

Now this is Slayin’ not Spurring the Sunday Scaries so let’s settle the mind and ground ourselves in the facts and a solution.

The Facts: According to the WSJ coverage of the May Jobs Report, overall the labor market is resilient and, although a slight uptick from April, the unemployment rate still nears an all-time low at 3.7%

• Overall, 339K jobs added in May which far exceeded expectations

• Business services, healthcare, construction, and transportation and warehousing were all sectors adding substantially more jobs than expected.

• Wages grew 4.3% in May on a YoY basis

Now for my Tech & Finance friends especially, those figures likely don’t mesh with your reality, as these industries are all shrinking their workforce - albeit at a slower rate than expected. Nonetheless, the layoffs continue and, having been laid off last year from a tech startup myself, I’d like to share with you the mistakes I’ve made and things I’ve learned to shorten and focus your job search.

This Wednesday, June 14th, I’m hosting a totally free webinar ‘From Laid Off to Leveled Up’ & I’d love for you, or anyone in your network that may need help, to join!

If you can’t make it Wednesday, sign up anyways as I’ll send out the zoom recording to those that don’t make it.

And now, on to some musings to get your mind right for Monday AM..

Clarify 💡

There is SO much noise in our day-to-day. With overscheduled days, Spotify or tv constantly on in the background & a backlog of podcasts downloaded for your commute, it’s rare to find moments of silence and time to get in touch with yourself.

Although there’s tremendous benefit to meditation and yoga, I myself struggle to make either a daily habit. However, all of us likely do walk somewhere everyday and we usually have our airpods in while we’re on that walk to the subway, with our dog or to grab a mid-day coffee.

So this week, go on a walk without headphones and without the noise. I’m willing to bet you’ll feel more refreshed and clear on something in your life. Reply back to this email and let me know how you felt over trying a noiseless walk!

Connect 🤝

Maybe it’s the fact that I have getting my wedding thank you notes out on my mind (friends & fam, they are slowly but surely coming!) , but this week I’d like to challenge you to write one unexpected note to someone in your life you appreciate.

If you’re like me, you think about a friend, former colleague or teacher randomly and get a twinge of guilt for how you haven’t caught up in a while.

First: throw away the guilt - it isn’t serving you. In our social media connected culture, it’s easy to fall into the trap that others are better at maintaining relationships than you are but just know: we all suck at keeping up with eachother because we’re too busy AND relationships are a two-way street. Chances are, the people you feel guilty about not keeping up with are also feeling the same about you. So let’s stop the guilt and…

Do something about it - if you’re strapped for time, an email or text will do but there is something special about snail mail. You never know how your network can provide but that is all grounded in strong relationships and expressing gratitude is foundational in building that strength. 💪

Confidently Communicate 🗣️

“So what do you do?”

Do you dread this question? I used to. And especially for my New Yorkers, it seems to be a day to day ritual in a city that revolves around work, being the best and never sleeping.

Maybe you’re between jobs.

Or you don’t like what you do.

Maybe you feel like you’re not doing ‘what you’re supposed to be doing.’

Or, like me, it’s been at different points in my career all of the above. I’m here to tell you, you’re allowed to hate this question but that won’t stop people from asking it.

Having an authentic (& rehearsed) response that either invites discussion around new opportunities or tactifully directs the conversation to something more pleasant is the way to qualm the fear around this question. Follow @rflctyourlight on Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn where I’ll be sharing later this week how to best form and communicate this response.

Deep breaths & conquer the week 💪

Until next Sunday,