- Offboard
- Posts
- Somatic Reset For Your Laid Off Nervous System
Somatic Reset For Your Laid Off Nervous System
Somatic reset for a fried nervous system, real-time hiring and layoff signals, 2026 market reality, and tools to help you get your edge back.
In partnership with
"Reading gives you pattern recognition for problems you haven't faced yet."
-Farnam Streetđ Welcome, Jobseekers
This week we are diving into somatic reset for a laid off nervouse system, decoding which AI and infra companies are quietly gearing up to hire, breaking down fresh layoff headlines and the frozen 2026 market, and arming you with tools like Genspark and Prue plus a community that actually gets it. If you are feeling fried, behind, or one bad headline away from a spiral, this is your weekly edge.
đ§ Mental Health: Somatic Reset For Your Laid Off Nervous System (& Free somatic webinar)
đĄ Career Radar: This Weekâs Hiring Signals In 2 Minutes
đ Layoff Report: HP to cut about 6,000 jobs by 2028, ramps up AI efforts
đ Trends & Data: Frostbite in the Valley: Why Tech is the Hardest Place to Be in 2026
đ§ Jobseeker Tools: Genspark AI, Prue AI
đȘ· Somatic Reset For A Laid Off Nervous System
The tech industry has seen over 140% more layoffs this year compared to last, and if you're one of the thousands navigating this storm, you know the toll extends far beyond your LinkedIn status.
Here's what nobody tells you about losing your job: your body keeps score. Job loss triggers the same stress responses as major life trauma.
Your nervous system doesn't distinguish between a layoff email and a physical threat. It just knows something is wrong. As a result, you get racing thoughts at 3 AM. Tension you can't shake. A fog that makes even updating your resume feel impossible.
And here's the cruel irony: the holidays amplify everything. While everyone around you celebrates, you might be fielding "so what are you up to now?" questions over turkey, masking anxiety with a smile, or simply dreading gatherings altogether.
You're not broken. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it's designed to do. The problem is, it doesn't know the threat has passed.
You Can't Think Your Way Out, But You Can Feel Your Way Back
Traditional job search advice focuses on tactics: optimize your resume, network harder, apply more. But when your body is stuck in survival mode, your creativity, confidence, and clarity go offline. No amount of willpower can override biology.
This is where somatic practices come in. "Somatic" simply means body-based, and emerging research confirms that working with the body directly can restore nervous system regulation faster than cognitive approaches alone. Simple techniques like intentional breathing, grounding, and gentle movement can help discharge the trapped stress energy that keeps you stuck.
When your nervous system feels safe again, everything shifts. Your thinking clears. Your energy returns. You start making empowered moves instead of reactive ones.
Join Us: A Free Workshop to Recalibrate
If youâre feeling like your nervouse system needs a reset, we're hosting RECALIBRATE: Nervous System Regulation & Somatic Resilience for Tech Professionals Navigating Layoffs. This is a free, interactive session led by Marian Bacol, founder of somarae and certified Somatics Coach, on December 2nd, at 2pm PST.
What you'll learn:
Why layoffs impact your body (not just your mind) and what to do about it
Breathwork and grounding techniques you can use anywhere
How to rebuild confidence and creativity after disruption
đ Register here: luma.com/pts3duk2
This Thanksgiving, we're grateful for you, our community of resilient tech professionals, who refuse to let a layoff define them.
The job search matters. But so does coming back to yourself first.
Take care of your nervous system. The rest will follow.
Save 55% on job-ready AI skills
Udacity empowers professionals to build in-demand skills through rigorous, project-based Nanodegree programs created with industry experts.
Our newest launchâthe Generative AI Nanodegree programâteaches the full GenAI stack: LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, production RAG, multimodal workflows, and real observability. Youâll build production-ready, governed AI systems, not just demos. Enroll today.
For a limited time, our Black Friday sale is live, making this the ideal moment to invest in your growth. Learners use Udacity to accelerate promotions, transition careers, and stand out in a rapidly changing market. Get started today.
This Weekâs Tech Hiring Signals In 2 Minutes
These are the moves that tell you who is about to go on a hiring spree for people like you.
Agentic and Vertical AI - Genspark and Tidalwave
AI startups are raising to build agents that actually do work, not just chat, like Genspark and Tidalwave, which uses agents to automate mortgage workflows.
Signal: they want people who can map messy real world processes into tools, guardrails and workflows, especially in domains like lending and finance.
Medical Intelligence - Function Health
Function Health just raised about 298 million at a 2.5 billion valuation to build a âhealth OSâ on top of labs, imaging and records.
Signal: regulated data plus AI is a huge theme. Hot roles are data engineering with PHI, security and privacy, and UX that makes probabilistic risk feel understandable instead of terrifying.
AI for Devs - Cursor and Momentic
Cursorâs maker Anysphere is now valued near 30 billion after a 2.3 billion raise, and Momentic raised 15 million to turn plain English into automated tests.
Signal: AI driven coding and verification is mainstream. Roles to watch are devtools engineering, ML infra, DX and QA people who can design automation, not just run manual tests.
Infra and Energy for AI - Crusoe, Base Power, Infravision
Crusoe is building data centers for AI workloads, Base Power raised 1 billion to deploy home batteries everywhere, and Infravision raised 91 million for grid robotics.
Signal: AIâs power hunger is turning grid, storage and robotics companies into tech employers, often in hubs like Austin and Denver.
Source: TrueUp
HP to cut about 6,000 jobs by 2028, ramps up AI efforts
âHP said on Tuesday it expects to cut between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs globally by fiscal 2028 as part of a plan to streamline operations and adopt artificial intelligence to speed up product development, improve customer satisfaction and boost productivity.â
Tesla Co-Founder Straubelâs Battery Startup Redwood Fires Dozens
Shopify says recent layoffs âremoved layers that created complexityâ
Apple Cuts Jobs Across Its Sales Organization in Rare Layoff
Monarch Tractor preps for layoffs and warns employees it may âshut downâ
PitchBook lays off employees amid effort to 'maximize the opportunities ahead'
Frostbite in the Valley: Why Tech is the Hardest Place to Be in 2026
According to Indeed 2026 Jobs & Hiring Trends Report, the 2026 labor market is forecasted to be frozen. Employers aren't conducting mass layoffs, but they are also hesitant to hire. The market is stable but stagnant, meaning fewer open roles and stiffer competition.
Key Trends for Tech Professionals
Tech is facing stronger headwinds: While sectors like healthcare and civil engineering are growing, tech-adjacent fields (specifically "Information," "Scientific R&D," and "Data & Analytics") are seeing lower demand compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Data & Analytics is hyper-competitive: This sector currently has the lowest employer demand of all sectors tracked, yet applications are rising. A mix of new graduates and recently laid-off workers are competing for a shrinking number of jobs.
Hiring is more selective: Unemployment duration for white-collar "Information" roles has increased significantly. Employers are taking longer to hire and are pickier about matching skills to requirements.
Entry-level is tough everywhere: Junior roles haven't vanished, but because the entire market has contracted, there are simply fewer seats at the table.
Strategic Advice for 2026
Expect a longer search: The average time to find a job in white-collar fields has jumped significantly (by weeks or months) compared to 2023. Plan your finances and mental resilience accordingly.
Location matters: Large coastal cities (traditional tech hubs) are seeing slower growth and tougher competition. You may find better odds in smaller metro areas or regions like the Sunbelt and Mountain West, where labor supply is tighter and employers may be less picky.
Stay put if you can: The "quit rate" is down. If you currently have a job, the data suggests it might be safer to hold onto it rather than risking a jump into a cold market, unless you have a firm offer in hand.
Genspark
AI Slides, AI Sheets, AI Docs, AI Developer, AI Designer, AI Chat, AI Image, AI Video â powered by the best models. One prompt, job done.
Prue AI
Simplify & Speed Up Your Career Change with PruE
Struggling to turn applications into interviews? PruE's AI Resume Builder, LinkedIn Optimizer, Career Roadmap, Interview Prep, and a suite of additional tools work together to sharpen your story and help you land the next role with confidence.
Reply