What to do when you get laid off

Getting laid off is stressful and it's really hard not to take personally, but you have to find a way to bounce back from it. If you're feeling lost, you're not alone. I've put together a checklist of what you'll want to tackle right out of the gates:

The most important thing is to stay positive. It's hard, I get it. Even it's difficult to change your feelings about the situation, you can exercise. Exercise increases your endorphins which can lower the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Don't drink. Whatever you do, don't drink. It's only going to set you back and slow the process of getting you back on your feet. It also makes you feel like crap both mentally and physically.
Get your LinkedIn up to date and if you don't have one, get one up! You could lose credibility in the business world by not having a presence on LinkedIn.
Don't apply everywhere to as many open jobs as you can regardless if you are qualified or not. Apply to positions that you want to do, ones that you qualify for, ones where you feel you can provide value to the organization. Recruiters and hiring managers can smell desperation from a mile away and candidates can lose credibility if they're found out.
Start networking with everyone and keep your schedule as full as possible. Get out there, park yourself somewhere, make conversation, learn about others and where they work. Start making connections and watch your network grow. There's something I always say to my team, you never know where a connection may lead.

You may not see it right away, but there usually is a silver lining in a difficult situation like this and you may not recognize it until it's long behind you. Change of any kind, at least in my experience, has always been good. Good luck and remember, you will come out of this stronger than before.