Emerge Stronger After a Layoff: 3 Mental Health Warrior Steps I Shared with Gibbs from NCIS
- Bruce Schutter
- 11 hours ago
- 5 min read
It started with a head slap. Mine!
"Focus up, Bruce," Leroy Jethro Gibbs muttered as he sat down across from me at our favorite diner, his ever-present black coffee in hand. But today, something was off. No steely-eyed intensity. No manila folder full of suspects. Just a tired man with too much on his mind.
I raised an eyebrow. "You okay, Gibbs? You’re looking a little... civilian."
He exhaled slowly. "Government layoffs. Budget cuts. Restructuring. Pick your poison. The team's gone, Bruce. And now I’m out too."
I blinked. Gibbs. LAID OFF!
The man who took down international arms dealers before breakfast now benched by budget spreadsheets?
It didn’t seem right. But I knew that look in his eyes. I’ve seen it in the mirror.
The Warrior Story
Gibbs knows my story. Twenty years of battling Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD — my own version of high-stakes chaos. It left me feeling powerless, broken, like the world had benched me too.
I hit rock bottom and tried to end my life. But in that dark time, I discovered something life-changing: Mental Health is the key to overcoming any challenge.
Armed with that knowledge, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge!
So you can take charge of your emotions, triumph over challenges and build the life you really want!
In my book, I Triumphed Over Bipolar, Alcoholism, and Anxiety Disorder by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior, I share my story — and the blueprint for becoming a warrior. Gibbs had read it and that’s where his Warrior journey began.
But today, he didn’t come to me with a case file — he came with a Warrior mission: to rise from the layoff stronger than ever.
I nodded. I’d been there myself.
So I shared three powerful steps I used when I was laid off — steps that helped me regain control, rebuild my mindset and come back stronger.
Step 1: You Didn’t Fail
"First thing’s first, Gibbs," I said. "This isn’t your fault."
He looked skeptical. "Feels like failure."
I shook my head. "Nope. Most layoffs today are about finance, not failure — budget cuts, restructuring, shifts in strategy. It’s happening everywhere and it’s not about performance."
I could see the gears turning. When I lost my IT job, I spiraled into shame. But once I realized the layoff wasn’t a reflection of my worth, I could start rebuilding.
That mindset shift became the foundation for everything that followed!
Gibbs’s Takeaway:
"So," he said, sitting up straighter, "if I stop blaming myself, I can start planning. Instead of obsessing over what went wrong, I can focus on what comes next."
He tapped the table like he was giving himself marching orders.
"I thought this layoff was all about me. But if it’s not failure, then it’s opportunity. And opportunities? You don’t waste those."
He paused, then added, "Happened before. Remember when Director Vance disbanded my team and shipped people off? That wasn’t about my performance — it was politics and strategy. I didn’t sulk. I recalibrated, handled the cases in front of me and rebuilt. Same play here."
Then came the classic Gibbs smirk. "Time to build what’s next, not brood over what’s gone."
Now that’s a Warrior mindset!
Step 2: Your Skills Come with You
"Step two," I said, "everything you’ve learned still belongs to you."
Gibbs looked down at his hands. "Interrogation skills aren’t exactly in demand at Starbucks."
I raised an eyebrow. "But leadership? Crisis management? Communication? Problem-solving?"
He paused, then nodded slowly. "You’re right. Those skills do come with me. I can come out stronger."
I smiled. "When I lost my IT job, I took inventory of every skill I had — and added in the emotional strength I’d gained from managing my mental health."
"That combination? It made me more than just qualified. It made me resilient. And resilience is a skill employers value."
Gibbs’s Takeaway:
"So when I walk into that interview," he said, "I’m not just some ex-agent with a Navy haircut. I’m a Warrior with decades of high-stakes leadership — and the mental resilience to back it up."
He tapped the table again, more focused now.
"I’ve led teams under pressure. Made decisions when everything was on the line. Read people when they were trying to hide the truth. That doesn’t disappear just because of a layoff."
He looked up, eyes sharper. "I just need to translate it — show them how those skills fit their mission."
I nodded. "Exactly."
"Your job got laid off — not your value."
Step 3: Embrace the Unknown
"Step three," I said, leaning in, "is Warrior territory. We thrive in the unknown."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "We do?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Because Mental Health Warriors take emotions seriously. We don’t fear them — we ally with them. And that gives us the power to face uncertainty with strength, not panic."
I paused.
"I didn’t choose to be laid off. But when I reframed it as an opportunity instead of a punishment, doors opened I never knew existed. I became an author. A speaker. A guide for others walking the same road."
Gibbs’s Takeaway:
He gave one of those small, knowing smiles.
"So maybe this is a chance to build something new. I’ve always thought about teaching… or consulting. Doing something meaningful — but this time, on my terms."
He paused, sipping his coffee.
"Reminds me of when we had no leads in a case. Didn’t mean the trail was dead — it just meant we had to dig deeper, follow a new angle."
He set the cup down, more focused now.
"The unknown isn’t a wall. It’s a door. And sometimes… it leads somewhere better than you planned."
I smiled. "That’s the spirit."
"Warriors don’t retreat… we reroute."
Bonus Section: Gibbs’s Warrior Advice
I could see the wheels turning, so I handed Gibbs my Mental Health Warrior Journal.
"Want to write something for others going through this?"
He nodded, scribbled for a minute, then passed it back.
3 "Gibbs" Warrior Rules for Laid-Off Legends:
“Trust your gut, but check your facts.”
Your worth didn’t vanish — it’s just looking for a new outlet.
“Don’t isolate.”
Talk to people who’ve been through it. Warriors move in packs.
“Make a plan.”
Then make a backup plan. Then go fishing. (That last part’s optional, but highly recommended.)
Wrap-Up
As we finished our coffee, I saw something different in Gibbs’s eyes. Not bitterness. Not fear. Just resolve.
"Thanks, Bruce," he said, standing a little taller. "Feels good to be reminded. I may be out of a job — but I’m not out of the fight!"
I smiled and reached into my bag.
"Take this," I said, handing him a copy of I Triumphed Over Bipolar, Alcoholism, and Anxiety Disorder by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior. "It’s the blueprint — my story and the tools that helped me rebuild and come back stronger."
And that’s what this is all about.
As Mental Health Warriors, we rise from the wreckage. We adapt. We build. We become stronger because of the storm — not in spite of it.
So if you’re out there, reeling from a layoff, take it from me and Gibbs:
You are not broken.
Your skills are still powerful.
And the unknown? That’s just your next mission.
Start your Mental Health Warrior journey today — take action, use your tools and rise stronger than the challenge!
Bruce Schutter ⚔️
Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!
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