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