‘Layoff was a blessing’: Indian woman in Canada says job loss made her rethink life beyond 9-to-5

Losing a job can leave people worried about money and uncertain about their future. But for 27-year-old Indian woman Semini Kulathilake, who is based in Canada, being laid off became a turning point that made her reconsider her career, identity and the life she wanted.

'Perks of getting laid off'

Kulathilake recently took to Instagram to reflect on her experience nearly 10 months after losing her job.

Opening the video, she said, “Let’s talk about the perks of getting laid off. Yes, I said perks. Okay, hear me out before you come for me.”

Her initial response to the layoff, however, was one of fear and uncertainty. “When I first got laid off, I was terrified, I was confused, and I started questioning my whole life,” she said.

She also recalled wondering, “How the hell am I going to survive?”

At the time, Kulathilake was living in one of Canada's most expensive cities and had several financial responsibilities. She was also preparing for her wedding when her regular source of income suddenly disappeared.

Layoff gave her time to rethink life

The experience gradually changed the way she viewed her situation.

Kulathilake said the loss of her job gave her something she had not had for years: time to think about what she actually wanted from life.

“For the first time in years, I actually had the time to ask myself, ‘What do I want to do in life, and what do I want my life to look like?’” she said.

She explained that her nine-to-five routine had kept much of her attention focused on meeting targets, handling responsibilities and supporting her team.

Being laid off removed her from the professional “box” she had built around herself and gave her an opportunity to reconsider what she wanted next.

From marriage to travelling

Kulathilake said the months since losing her job have also allowed her to focus on parts of her personal life that may otherwise have been difficult to prioritise.

During this period, she got married, travelled to Sri Lanka and India, met her in-laws and spent more time with her family.

She also began focusing on creating “building an income stream that no one is going to be able to snatch away from me through an email”.

'I would never have chosen it'

Kulathilake stressed that she was not suggesting unemployment was easy or something people should seek.

“I would never have chosen it, trust me,” she said.

At the same time, she believes the experience that initially felt like a major setback may have pushed her towards creating the life she had wanted for years.

In the caption accompanying her Instagram post, she described herself as a “27-year-old laid-off immigrant living in Canada” and said she was still looking for a job.

“Maybe the layoff wasn’t the opportunity. Maybe it was the push I needed to finally create one,” she wrote.

She later summed up her changed perspective in the comments, writing, “After all, getting laid off was a blessing in disguise.”

Social media users react

The post prompted several users to share their own views on job loss and career changes.

One person called her perspective “such a refreshing way to look at it”, while another said, “Losing a job is scary, but it can also bring clarity.”

A third user described a layoff as “a reset you never planned for”. Another simply agreed with her, writing, “This is true.”

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)

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