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My husband, John, works in high-tech start-ups, which means we know from layoffs. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that your time is best spent focusing on what you CAN control, rather than railing against what you can’t:

1.) You’re angry, upset, scared. But put the situation in perspective: A job is the cure for what ails you. Imagine how much worse it would be if you or your spouse was terminally ill. A mere layoff wouldn’t even hit your Worry radar screen. Be concerned, yes. Just keep it in proportion to the problem.

2.) File for unemployment right away. Some states have rules about this, so rather than miss a deadline, get on it within 24 hours of your layoff. Have withholding taxes taken out of the weekly unemployment check -- that way, you won’t be blindsided by a tax bill down the road.

(Depending on the size of your termination package, unemployment may not kick in for several weeks. John didn't get a check for a month because he got a month's severance... but at least when that was over, his first check arrived promptly... and until stores start giving out food for free, every little bit helps.)

3.) COBRA your health insurance unless it’s cheaper getting coverage on your own, or your spouse’s employer can cover you. If your family is generally healthy, raise your deductible so your monthly premium (read: outgoing cash flow) is lower. Better to pay for routine doctor’s visits out of pocket than overpay the premium every single month for coverage you may not use. Once the month’s gone, that unused premium money is, too.

4.) Drop any expenses that aren't completely necessary. When it comes down to it, the only things we really need are pretty basic. Be ruthless. Everything short of food and shelter should be up for elimination. You don't have to cut life’s little niceties forever. Just for the time being. You’re in crisis mode, which is an acute, not chronic, condition.

5.) Get in touch with your Inner Haggler. Everything is negotiable, so get on the phone with your creditors, cell phone service, internet providers, dentist... anyone to whom you owe money. Explain your situation. It costs them less to retain a customer than to find a new one.

6.) If you’re the laid off spouse, schedule some breaks in the day to take a walk, watch mindless TV (wait, is that redundant?) -- whatever gives your brain a rest from the "job" of looking for a job. Some of the best creative ideas I've ever had have popped into my head when I was doing something other than staring at a blank computer screen. A breather will bring you back to your desk refreshed. Also: between work calls, pitch in around the house. There’s nothing more infuriating for the still-working spouse than to come home to a messy house and a channel-surfing couch potato.