Recovering from a financial loss is something no one ever wants to go through. Whether it be losing your job and income, having an investment go belly up, or having someone steal from you – it can be frustrating and humiliating. But sometimes lessons can be learned – although expensive ones – and key takeaways can come that set you up for bigger successes down the road. Being able to keep a mindset that allows you to bounce back is sometimes half the battle. Here are some ways that have helped others bounce back from a loss that was unexpected.

Changing your spending habits

Reducing your spending habits on wants rather than needs allows you to build your savings back up after your loss. Even if you were saving before the loss, you would most likely need to find a way to save even more to get you back to where you were – especially if the loss causes you to spend through some or all of your emergency fund.

Work more or pick up a side hustle

Maybe you had a big, unexpected expense that set you back and caused you to spend through your emergency fund. If your employer allows it, you could pick up some extra shifts to generate more income. If they do not, it is also possible that there is seasonal work out there that you can pick up on the weekends to get you back to where you need to be. Who knows, maybe you realize that the side hustle you pick up is your passion and leads to more opportunities down the road.

Learn and move on

If you continue to dwell on your loss, it’s only going to make things harder to come back from. Yes, it’s not fun what you are going through. But using this as an opportunity to improve yourself and get better is something that you can control. Maybe it teaches you how to save and invest better. Or maybe, it allows you to help others who are in a similar situation. Learning and moving on is only going to allow you to get yourself in the headspace to better your situation and grow.

Every financial loss is going to have its own path to recovery. Yours is going to take you being in a good solid mental state to make it happen. For some, the recovery may be quick. For others, it may take some time. But, if you create a plan and stick to it, eventually, you will recover. Hopefully, you come out stronger and more confident to handle what comes your way – whether that be financially or personally.