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