FRESH PERSPECTIVEs
Insights from the intersection of psychology, systems thinking, and lived experience — to help you adapt, grow, and thrive.
Fresh Perspectives shares reflections, strategies, and science-informed insights for navigating the changing world of work. Written by Stephanie McFarlane — I/O Psychology-informed coach and former engineer — each post offers grounded guidance for those facing change, reinvention, or growth.
“You don’t have to go through change alone. You can rebuild — with purpose, with clarity and with support.”
- Stephanie McFarlane
At Wayfound, we believe that change is not just a strategy — it’s a human experience.
Fresh Perspectives offers insight for navigating personal and organizational transformation with clarity, courage, and care. These articles draw from I/O Psychology, systems thinking, and lived experience to help you — and your team — adapt, grow, and thrive.
When Your Role DiSappears, So Does the Story You Told Yourself
What happens when your job title vanishes, and so does the version of you that wore it?
In the quiet after a layoff, it’s not just income we lose — it’s identity, confidence, and a sense of place in the world. This article explores the hidden psychological toll of role loss and offers a grounded reflection for rebuilding from the inside out.
Navigating the quiet grief of layoff and rediscovering who you are
The Hidden Struggle
There’s a part of career disruption we rarely talk about.
It’s not the scramble to update our résumé. It’s not the LinkedIn networking surge.
It’s that quiet moment — maybe days after the layoff — when we look in the mirror and feel… unrecognizable.
Not because we’ve changed on the outside.
But because the story we told ourselves about who we are just broke.
And no one prepared us for that.
The Deeper Truth
In a world where job titles double as identities, losing work can feel like losing a part of your soul.
This is especially true if you’re someone who poured meaning, routine, pride, and even purpose into your role.
A layoff isn’t just a disruption in income — it is a disruption of narrative.
It interrupts the “I’m someone who…” story many of us unconsciously lean on to move through the world.
“I’m a leader.”
“I’m a high performer.”
“I’m someone people rely on.”
When that identity suddenly falls away — especially through no fault of our own — the result isn’t just confusion. It’s grief.
And many times we don’t realize this is what we’re feeling.
A Reflection Tool
If any of this resonates, pause for a moment and try this …
Ask yourself these three gentle questions:
What part of me felt most connected to that role?
What core values or strengths did it allow me to express?
Are those parts of me gone — or do they simply need new language now?
This isn't about toxic positivity or "reframing" your pain away.
It’s about realizing that your role may have been the container — but you were always the source.
Your clarity. Your empathy. Your leadership. Your ingenuity.
Those didn’t vanish when your email access did.
An Invitation to Reconnect
If you’re in that liminal space — the one where your future feels fuzzy and your confidence feels shaky — you’re not broken. You’re in the middle of rewriting.
That’s why we created The Resilience Room — a group coaching experience designed to help you reconnect to your core, find language for this in-between moment, and build a future that doesn’t just look good on paper — but feels like you.
You can learn more about it at: https://wayfoundhq.com/signature-services#resilienceroom
And even if all you do today is pause, breathe, and say, “My story isn’t over — it’s just turning the page,” — that is enough.
You're still you.
Even now.
Especially now.
About the Author
Stephanie McFarlane is a Career Resilience Coach, I/O Psychology Practitioner, and the founder of Wayfound — a coaching and development practice that helps individuals and organizations navigate career reinvention, identity shifts, and the emotional challenges of change. With a warm, psychology-informed approach, she supports people in rediscovering clarity, confidence, and wholeness — even when the path ahead feels uncertain.
If you’re navigating a transition and want thoughtful support, you can explore coaching services at www.wayfoundhq.com.
What Career Resilience Really Means (It’s Not Just Grit)
Career resilience isn’t just about grit—it’s about adaptability, alignment, and the capacity to grow through change. In this post, I share five essential truths that redefine what it really means to thrive in an uncertain world.
When people hear the word resilience, they often think of toughness. Grit. Endurance.
But in today’s world of work—where roles shift, industries transform, and uncertainty is constant—that definition is no longer enough.
Real career resilience isn’t about how long you can tough it out.
It’s about how well you can adapt, stay aligned with your values, and grow through the process of change.
As an Industrial/Organizational Psychology practitioner and former engineer, I’ve studied both the human and systemic dimensions of work.
Career resilience isn’t just a mindset—it’s a set of capacities and behaviors you can understand, develop, and strengthen.
1. It’s Adaptability, Not Just Endurance
The old model says: Push through.
The new reality says: Pivot smartly.
Career resilience means being able to shift—not because you’ve failed, but because you’re evolving.
It’s the capacity to recognize that change isn’t a threat—it’s a signal.
Ask yourself: Am I holding on to a version of success that no longer fits?
In I/O Psychology, this is called cognitive flexibility—the ability to reframe, re-strategize, and move with change, not against it.
2. It Includes Rest and Recovery
Burnout isn’t a badge of honor.
True resilience includes the ability to pause, recalibrate, and reset.
Emotional and physical exhaustion are often signs of misalignment—not just overwork.
From a systems perspective, rest isn’t just recovery—it’s maintenance.
It’s what keeps the whole system (you) functional.
Rest is not weakness. It’s strategy.
3. It’s About Alignment, Not Just Approval
Resilience means resisting the pressure to constantly perform for others’ expectations.
It’s knowing your own values—and using them as a compass, even when external validation fades.
Resilient people don’t just survive change. They use it to move closer to who they really are.
4. It’s Learning Agility, Not Expertise
The future doesn’t belong to people who know everything.
It belongs to people who are willing to keep learning.
Career resilience is fueled by curiosity and humility—the courage to say, “I don’t know… but I’m open.”
In I/O Psychology, we call this learning agility—a top predictor of adaptability and leadership success.
You don’t need to be perfect—just teachable.
5. It’s Emotional Capacity
Resilience doesn’t mean you're unaffected.
It means you can feel, process, and move forward.
Being honest about fear, grief, or uncertainty isn’t weakness.
It’s part of developing the inner flexibility to keep going.
In psychological terms, this is part of your emotional resilience—your capacity to recover and remain grounded through disruption.
Real strength includes the space to feel.
Resilience for a Changing World
Career resilience isn’t just about grit.
It’s not about muscling through everything that comes your way.
It’s about responsiveness. Alignment. Growth.
It’s about staying true to yourself and adapting to what the moment requires.
Whether you’re navigating uncertainty, preparing for change, or standing at a professional crossroads—know this:
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need the capacity to keep learning, growing, and staying connected to what truly matters.
That’s what career resilience really means.
Stephanie McFarlane is an Industrial/Organizational Psychology practitioner and systems thinker with a background in engineering. She helps individuals and organizations navigate change with clarity, alignment, and evidence-based strategy.