A growing number of women who’ve been laid off are turning desperation into inspiration by finding their passion and becoming their own boss. Christine holland saw the writing on the wall. The Chicago sales rep who joined Pfizer in 2001 started seeing sweeping layoffs at the pharma giant in 2005. Christine, 37, mom of Parker, 5, Braxton, 2, and newborn Drew, knew it was only a matter of time before she would lose her job, too. She decided she needed a plan B. Soon after, while at Parker’s soccer practice, she noticed that all the boys’ water bottles were lined up, with nobody knowing which bottle was whose. The kids wound up sharing bottles—and germs. That’s when she got her idea. By the time Christine was laid off last year, the wheels were in motion for her product, Drinkmarx (DrinkMarx.com), dishwasher-safe labeling bands that, unlike stickers, can be reused. After two years, with an investment of $40,000, Christine’s business is booming with national retailers. “I made up my investment within the first six months,” she says. The decision to discover your true passion after a layoff is not uncommon, says Michael Bednarski, PhD, a popular New York City–based psychologist and career coach. But for some, getting past the initial worry, anger and desperation can be challenging. Here, Dr. Bednarski’s top tips for bouncing back after a layoff.

Catch your breath

Allow yourself to be a little shocked, Dr. Bednarski advises. “Give yourself time to absorb this blow, but don’t spend all of your time there. Your attitude will make a difference.” The best first step, he says, is to recognize that you’re losing only your job, not any of the skills or qualities that got you the job. “Those things are still inside of you, waiting to be placed somewhere else—in another job, or different type of work.”

Reach out

Let others know what happened to position yourself to find the next right thing. “Don’t isolate yourself,” says Dr. Bednarski. “Losing a job is an everyday occurrence these days.” Friends and associates can provide empowering reminders of our abilities when we’re too blinded by our own emotions to recognize them, not to mention offer networking opportunities, he adds.

Seize the opportunity

Transitions can be times of tremendous personal development, Dr. Bednarski points out. “There’s a wealth of self-knowledge and opportunity for growth behind every transition in life, including painful ones.” Take time to look at your skills: those you want to use, those you want to develop and those you don’t care if you ever use again, he says. List the five things that matter most in your work and life, rank them and use them as guideposts in your search for new work or self-employment.

Florida real estate agent Cheryl DelMastro, 49, saw a not-too-bright future for herself on the job—“I was seeing lots of foreclosures on the horizon”—and jumped at the chance to be her own boss. Her product idea was sparked in 2008 when she was showing a house and the buyer’s baby daughter kept pulling off her socks. “This is it! I thought. I’ll solve the sock dilemma,” says Cheryl, mom to Kylie, 17, Chris, 19, and Ashley, 22. With an initial investment of $20,000, she created Stay With Me baby socks staywithmesocks.com). Thanks to adjustable Velcro straps, not only are they difficult for babies to pull off, but they can also be looped together in the laundry so one sock doesn’t disappear. The product has just been picked up by Target for nationwide distribution. “We turned a profit immediately,” Cheryl says. “Either you can toss and turn at night and worry, or you can take that energy to think about something else you could do with your life that you might really love.

Follow your bliss

Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone, cautions Dr. Bednarski. It takes self-drive and the ability to face uncertainty, and that requires a particular temperament. But if you’ve always dreamed of being in business for yourself, losing your job could be just the motivation you need to finally go for it.

Ready to be a mompreneur?

Think you have a great business idea? Ask yourself these questions before taking the leap, says Cheryl DelMastro, creator of Stay With Me baby socks (StayWithMeSocks.com). 1. Does your product solve a problem? Make sure there’s a demand for your invention. 2. What’s the feedback from potential customers? Cheryl conducted informal focus groups with new mothers at Starbucks. 3. Have you studied up on the industry? Be able to speak with experts in the field to get information and feedback.