I was laid off on my birthday after enduring a months-long restructure at my company. The whole experience has been really tough, and I'm still processing everything. The restructure was announced back in August, and for nearly three months, it felt like we were all in limbo, with constant rumors and vague updates. I tried to keep my head down and do my job, but there were days I found myself crying in the bathroom, trying to stay strong for my child. Initially, the company outlined how roles would be evaluated based on qualifications, experience, and length of service. I felt confident since I was ahead of my colleague in all those areas. But then, the night before the decision was made, I received an unexpected invite for an 'interview' for my own position, which felt completely unfair given the prior assurances. The interview was awkward, with everyone else having their cameras off, and the senior manager running it had a history of criticizing my performance. I found out I was being let go during a video call on my birthday. The reason given was that I 'couldn't handle the workload.' I later learned from HR that if a manager doesn't want you on their team, there's not much anyone can do. The next morning, my manager announced my departure to the entire team, which was incredibly humiliating. I decided to take the severance package because I have bills and a child to care for, and I didn't have the energy for a long fight. Part of me feels like I gave up, but another part knows I chose peace. I'm feeling sad, angry, and a bit embarrassed after four years at the company, now reduced to just a CV. I've got some interviews lined up, so I'm not completely hopeless, but the rejections have been more painful than I anticipated. I'm reaching out to see if anyone else has gone through something similar and how you managed to rebuild your confidence. How long did it take before the hurt faded?