Being too nonchalant about this is not a good approach. I'm not saying you should stress over it 24/7, but you shouldn't pretend it's not happening either. Make a plan. Update your resume, spruce up your LinkedIn, start networking, start saving... You don't have to start applying right now but be ready to do it right away in case you find yourself suddenly jobless.
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This is the worst time to get laid-off. During a recession where many companies are beginning to have hiring freeze or rescinding jobs. I've been there and the stress is going to be up the roof. The best thing you can do is look at external job postings and see what type of experience they require. Then start working your bu-t of during the weekends and week day evenings to train yourself on certain specific topic. Why? Cause competition is going to be tough out there. I know. It's not easy finding a job especially if you haven't interviewed for the past 10+ years. Send out your resume to far away jobs and see if you get interviews. If you do, then take time to prepare for the interview and go on the interview (most likely it will be online interview if the job is far). This way, you start getting some practice interviewing and write down the questions the interviewee asks you so you can figure out how to answer it correctly on your next interview. Then when you're really really ready and serious about finding a new job, apply locally. This way, you'll be ready since you've practiced answering questions from other interviews.
I am certainly not a head in the sand type nor a person freaking out (it is actually amazing to see some people freaking out and having near meltdowns on VMWARE SLACK, WHICH CAN BE MONITORED, particularly when the channel is named something to do with broadcom), but working from home/remote really makes it a challenge to have one's finger on the pulse of one's coworkers. I don't think I have spoken to anyone (over voice not through text) who expressed any real concern over the transaction, so it is hard to tell what is going on there (and I am not just talking about managers). Personally I've already started preparing for the worst, and the second worst, (and the third and fourth worst? though at this point I have lost track of how many potential downside scenarios there are) outcomes, and I imagine my peers are quietly doing the same. Maybe it is a taboo subject for some or something...hard to say. Definite downside to remote work.
Why not apply right now? I think anyone who can't expect a large severance package should GTFO while they can.
Lots of "optimists" in my organization who have their heads in the sand. "We are too important, they can't lay us off. They can't treat this like Brocade or CA or Symantec, we are too complex. Our position is revenue generating, they won't lay us off."
These people will get caught flat-footed while the more ambitious people have already found better jobs.