#wellness

Getting laid off from IBM ended up being a lot more freeing than I expected. At first it stung, but once the dust settled, I realized I’d been stuck in a place that was going nowhere. Constant reorganizations, shifting priorities, and leadership that never seemed to agree on a direction made every day feel unstable. It was exhausting trying to stay motivated when the ground kept moving under your feet.
Looking back, getting pushed out forced me to step back and see how unhealthy the situation really was. The stress, the uncertainty, and the endless talk with very little action had become normal, and that’s not a great place to be. I was able to focus on finding something more stable and rewarding, instead of clinging to a job that was slowly burning me out.

Treat yourself to something you truly enjoy, cherish time with family and friends, and do everything you can to forget about work for a day or two. It does wonders to not let this place monopolize your time and mind. It’s not worth it. We can’t control what’s coming next, and more often than not, things sort themselves out with a bit of luck and effort.

Much as possible. What I don't like is my drinking has increased massively and that's my problem. Lunchtime I head out and go to some random parking lot and knock a few back. Have a tumbler roadie for the office to nurse for the afternoon and then have a few for the ride home. By 8-9 pm every day I am lights out asleep only to do it all over again. Do you think there are many more drinking, getting high on the job? I only have a couple more years of this but man it's taking a toll.

Just a reminder to all of us during these uncertain times.

I’m sick to my stomach with this bullsh!t

Stepping away for a bit. Wishing good luck to everyone.

The last few years in the Vz meatgrinder has taken a toll on my mental and physical health so I’ve decided to spend the remaining days of December eating, drinking, recharging and enjoying time with family and friends. I’ll start the job search in 2026. 🎅 ☃️ 🎁

The stress from the layoff rumors and the economic uncertainty is just constantly hanging over me. It feels like the job has taken over every corner of life, and there’s no real break from worrying about what might happen next. It’s exhausting, and this isn’t how anyone should have to live. But here we are.

Make sure you take time to enjoy family and friends, eat some good food, enjoy some good entertainment. True happiness is worth more than money, possessions, or job status. Hug your significant other, tell your children how much you love them, reach out to your parents, aunts, uncles etc... Jobs come and go friends and family last forever.

STOP LOOKING AT THESE POSTS OVER THE HOLIDAYS! TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

Your job isn’t a marriage it’s a lease. And like any lease, you’re allowed to check in and decide if it still fits; if not, move on. For the past 30 years, it’s worked out fine for me, which is why I’m still there. There’s no need to complain. If you aren’t happy, find something that makes you happy.

It can still happen

• it did not matter to them: - so many long hours - so many weekends lost for the family, because of deadlines or projects. So musmch stress, trying to give them my best, and in a day - it NO longer mattered. That is the most learning lesson: devotion to a job - it does not matter - we need to protect our priorities over all. In my case, 27.5 years here - and it did not matter to them. So for those who stay, control your wfforts and your hours, because to them, it wont matter.

So happy wellness week went away to help cover dividends going up 2.5%. You'd think they wouldn't be so tone deaf and at least wait a quarter.

When a leader says they plan to make aggressive changes, please believe them. This round of layoffs made that crystal clear. One of the biggest shocks for many wasn’t just the separation itself it was the realization that tenure and strong performance no longer equal safety.

Many people had been with the company for 15+ years. Loyalty. Results. History. But the truth is, comfort can slowly sneak in when we compare our situation to “worse” ones happening elsewhere. We see other tech companies downsizing and think, “That won’t be us” until it is.

At the end of the day, in Corporate America, we are often reduced to headcount, costs, and line items. Human assets meant to drive numbers. And when strategy shifts, even the best can be swept up in the current.

If you were affected:
Take a few days. Breathe. Grieve it. Don’t rush to “be okay.”
Then dust off your résumé, update your LinkedIn, activate your network. Get your financial house in order. And begin looking for your next opportunity one that values your gifts, your time, and your humanity.

If you weren’t affected:
Let this be a reminder not to get comfortable. Use this moment to build, upskill, connect, and prepare. Nothing is promised except change.

This wasn’t the end. It’s a painful middle.
But there is still purpose ahead.

Scripture for strength:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Praying for peace over every person affected. You are more than a number. 🤍

I’m so sorry you all are going through this. I went through it with VZ in 2023. I just want to let you ALL know there is life outside of Verizon. I encourage you to take full advantage of the FREE resources they offer regarding job readiness. You will find yourself working a lot less hours, actually being able to have a life & being happier overall. I know today is hard, but just know the light at the end of the tunnel is much brighter than you could ever imagine.

Anyone else can't sleep?

I can already tell I will not sleep at all tonight, and with so many of us WFH tomorrow, the idea of getting through the day with a buzz sounds way more appealing than doing it stone sober. I know this is me trying to joke my way through the stress, but right now I feel like anything that takes the edge off is worth considering.

I feel for everyone going through the RIF right now. I was there, high performer for the company, bled for the company, and there I was dismissed.

If they offer it, take the enhanced severance package. This package gives you 50% more but means you can never work at Verizon again. I asked where I could sign instantly when presented with the this option.

I found another job that pays me 25% more than when I worked at VZW, and I was a high performing leader. Honestly, VZW is a sinking ship. If you aren’t RIF’d this go round, start looking for something better. The grass is greener on the other side.

The sun will shine again, and brighter once you are out of the VZW shadow.

A lot of unstable employees out there.
The fear and anxiety has really affected people in such a negative way.
Keep an eye on your peers… be a friend!

I take calls with India at 5AM most day and am expected to join calls at 4 or 5 PM the same day. If my work isn't done when India comes in, I'm in trouble. But I just can't do it anymore, it's ki-ling me. I have no life, all I do is work and get told it's not good enough. How long do we have to do this? I have to believe things will get better at some point?

If so, how many pills and/or co-ktails are you taking to sleep? Lol

I know most will think I’m a troll or lying but for those looking for legit advice, here it is. I have been here over 20 years, seen so much change and been impacted multiple times involuntary. It hit me hard, I was kicked to the curb but lucky to find a new role within to stay. I know more about how all this works internally than most of you unfortunately(how we’re notified, off pay, insurance, tax, etc). I wish I didn’t. Then, the first VSP came, I didn’t even look at the offer. The second, I looked but didn’t take it. This got my butt in gear so I didn’t get caught flat footed. While I knew I was staying, I took the last few years learning a new skill, a trade so I would be ready to move on one day. I would actually like to stay here. I have a great team and a great boss. I am lucky. But this week might be that time for me, who knows. This is my advice. If you are fortunate enough to make it through this, don’t sell yourself short and think it’s done. This is the beginning. Take it as an opportunity to learn something new that you see as the future of work. You’ll only sell yourself short if you do nothing AND survive this week.

Who's still hanging around here with zero chance of falling asleep because your stomach is in such a tight knot that lying down just makes it worse?

Random, but is anyone else’s hair falling out? It feels like I’ve been living under constant stress ever since the relocation strategy was introduced with zero details.

What a fun weekend this turned into, with me refreshing this page nonstop while chugging chamomile just to keep my nerves from going completely wild, only to spend half my time running to the bathroom from all the tea. It felt like an endless loop of checking updates, stressing, and trying to calm down, and I probably slept five or six hours total the entire weekend. The only thing that made it even a little easier was knowing there were other people going through the same thing, and there’s real comfort in not feeling completely alone in it.

Embrace nihilism and you will feel so much better about life!! Don’t stress yourself self over something you can’t control. One day you’ll will be gone and no one will remember you.

I know I’m going to. The urge to start job hunting right away is strong, but after everything we’ve been through, you’ll thank yourself for taking a little time to breathe, reset, and get your head straight before diving back in. I'm speaking from experience, since this the second time I've been laid off.

When Wellness Week was implemented during Covid, Nike used the opportunity to axe the profit sharing retirement benefit. The messaging stated, "We are prioritizing investments into employee well being and pay continuity for retail athletes." The decision made sense and there wasn't much push back at the time. Today "wellness week" was taken away, but nothing was mentioned about reinstating what we gave up - the profit sharing plan. All of that coupled with an Oscar worthy performance and the audacity to ask for complete focus and commitment while taking benefits away. Appalling!

It’s honestly a sign of how many entitled people we have here who are overly obsessed with wellness week. Working 9 to 5, in person, at your desk… with PTOs… is that really that difficult?

And for HR, if the goal is to let these naïve people out, raise the lifetime discount bar from 5 yrs to 10. You’d be surprised how many people would end up leaving, since that perk, along with wellness week is what so many seem to value the most.

I smell a Grammy for QB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zyRaOTY4aM&list=RD6zyRaOTY4aM&start_radio=1

I thought I'd feel great this weekend, make up for lost sleep. I was very much wrong. I still feel like cr-p, I still can't relax, and I still have trouble sleeping. I think this whole thing has been hanging over our heads for so long that it'll take us a while to go back to normal.

Specific thread for 10/30 RIF at Wellmed. Comment if you know what departments will be impacted and where?

i feel so alone in this

The past few weeks (or even months) have been tough, but hearing from others who are going through the same thing has been oddly comforting. It helps to know I’m not the only one feeling this dread and uncertainty right now.

Usually we have the date for the next well-being week announced by now. Have a feeling the party might be over this year.

How long did it take for the toxicity to leave your system? When did the happiness start again in your life? I'm going though the 5 stages, but can already tell I am much more calm and don't need the bottle anymore. I'm thinking it just gets better from here. Money? Yep need that, and it is inducing some stress into my life, but it feels much different than the environment at work while I was there.
At least on the money side, I can take personal action to fix it. The office environment? Nope. Just had to endure.....