Losing a job and looking for a new one can be one of the most stressful things you can possibly go though. It is hard on you, your mental health, your self-esteem, your finances, your family and even your health. The longer your job search becomes, the harder these things get hit.
Depression is easy to fall into after your job loss, especially if you don't have a strong, supportive safety net to help you bounce back. Not only can depression make your job search next to impossible, because you lack the will and the confidence to put yourself back out there, but it also makes you much less appealing to a potential employer. You can't possibly expect to go in and “wow 'em” at the interview when you haven't been able to get off the couch and take a shower in a week. Even if you can manage to get up, get cleaned up and show up, you will probably not make the best of impressions.
So, how can you keep your spirits up and stay healthy while you are looking for a job? Here are some tips that can help:
- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthy foods
- Keep as much of a regular schedule as you can. This includes sleeping habits. Don't let yourself get into the habit of sleeping all day in an attempt to avoid dealing with life.
- Stay away from things that can become crutches. For example, drugs and alcohol.
- Don't think that you are alone. Reach out to your friends and family. If they aren't close enough to give you some support, consider talking to a professional. If all of your friends were co-workers, look for other organizations you can join to make some new connections.
- Be useful. Volunteering can be a great way to ward off depression. It is hard to feel sorry for yourself when you are helping others. If you aren't interested in working with a non-profit group, volunteer to help your friends and family with projects. Being useful fulfills the need to be valued and to be valuable.
- Look for free services. There are many places and resources that are available to people in the community for free. When you are a busy professional, you may not have taken notice, but there is a free library in almost every community. They offer books, movies, music and even resume help. Additionally, there may even be free mental-health services in your town as well.
- Try to accept the things you have no control over. You can't make someone hire you or even read your resume. Instead, focus on the things you can control and pour that energy into your job search and networking opportunities.
- Don't focus on just one opportunity. If you put all of your eggs in one basket, it is harder to recover when the basket falls. Focusing your energy on one job can make you crazy and it makes you put too much pressure on the job to the point where you lose objectivity.
- Look at the bigger picture. You may do some thinking and realize that your last job wasn't what you wanted to do. This is the perfect time to think about how you could use your skills and experience to do something you really love.
- Practice gratitude. Whenever you start to feel negative, think about something you are grateful for. In any situation, there is always good and bad. And what I am suggesting isn't just looking on the bright side. It is finding a way to be truly grateful for everything in your life. You can even be grateful for your job search, because it gives you the chance to practice patience, to remember what is really important in your life and helps you to learn that you are a survivor.
What do you do to stay healthy when you are going through a tough time? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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