| There is an old adage that "Looking for a job | | | | you are going to do, and when. |
| is harder than working." How true! The rigors | | | | |
| of job search are magnified by the turmoil we | | | | 2. Concentrate on not over-committing |
| experience: lack of self-confidence, | | | | yourself. You may be used to working 8 or |
| humiliation, financial pressure, and the | | | | more hours per day and think that is what you |
| undercurrent of emotions that color all we do | | | | will now spend on job search. Remember that |
| -- fear, anger, depression, anxiety, loss. | | | | adage: your hunt for work is a lot more |
| | | | difficult than simply walking into a familiar |
| One practical step we can take to lower the | | | | employer and pursuing your daily routine. |
| stress and conserve our energy for finding | | | | Recognize that and limit your job hunting to |
| work, not feeding our bloated worries, is to | | | | fewer hours per day. |
| manage our time effectively. Have you ever | | | | |
| noticed that you get more chores done when | | | | 3. If you rigorously limit your job |
| you're busy? If time is limited, we squeeze | | | | hunt-related activities to 4 hours per day to |
| in those extra demands because we know they | | | | start (you can always increase later), you |
| have to get done by a deadline and we fear | | | | may find yourself forced to stop before you |
| putting them off. When time is unlimited, | | | | are ready. This creates the impetus to get |
| such as when you take a few days off work, | | | | you going the following day -- you can hardly |
| there is no pressure to rush-"I've got four | | | | wait to get back to what you are working on. |
| days, I'll do it tomorrow." Suddenly, you are | | | | |
| back at work and realize that you didn't | | | | 4. When your "work time" is over, stop. |
| accomplish half of what you had planned. | | | | Consciously focus your attention on relaxing: |
| | | | take a walk, read a book, throw a ball, watch |
| This lack of structure is magnified when you | | | | television, whatever pleases you. You will be |
| are unemployed. There is no pressure to get | | | | able to relax because you know you completed |
| up, get dressed, get out of the house by a | | | | exactly what you planned. The guilt, and the |
| specific time. We know we have things to do. | | | | sense of "I should have, I should be" no |
| We need to update our resume, create some new | | | | longer exist and you are free, for a short |
| cover letters, research some possible job | | | | time anyway, to do anything you want. |
| openings. | | | | |
| | | | 5. Identify your priorities by looking at |
| It is so hard to get started because we hate | | | | what day of the week is best for each kind of |
| having to do it, we don't feel creative or | | | | activity. If you are searching the |
| excited about the whole prospect, and we | | | | classifieds, Sunday is the premium time to do |
| dread having to go through the horrors of | | | | it. If you are networking or cold calling, |
| interviewing. We procrastinate, telling | | | | concentrate on the morning weekday hours. |
| ourselves that when we are ready, it will | | | | Agency visits, whether for temporary work or |
| just "flow." For a few hours, a few days, | | | | head hunting, can be relegated to the |
| we'll just indulge ourselves and relax. When | | | | afternoons when employers are difficult to |
| the end of the month arrives and we compare | | | | reach and already fatigued. |
| our diminishing bank balance to our | | | | |
| multiplying bills, we mentally beat ourselves | | | | 6. Analyze your own daily energy patterns and |
| up for not having accomplished what we had so | | | | put them to work for you. Make sure that |
| earnestly intended. | | | | during your high energy periods you are "out |
| | | | there," contacting people and presenting |
| Now we generate our own pressure, magnified | | | | yourself. Use your low energy times for |
| by guilt and self-reproach. Stress levels and | | | | solitary, mundane tasks: researching |
| blood pressure rise. We feel resentful, | | | | companies and jobs, organizing your |
| angry, depressed. "I didn't ask to get into | | | | paperwork, planning your next day's |
| this situation. It's unfair. I hate it, I | | | | activities. |
| hate it, I hate it." | | | | |
| | | | The inevitable stress of unemployment and job |
| Adopting a reasonable schedule can avoid | | | | search can never be totally eliminated, but |
| reaching this point. Try these ideas: | | | | managing your time and being gentle with |
| | | | yourself can turn a painful situation into |
| 1. Take a day to do nothing but plan out what | | | | simply an uncomfortable nuisance. |