4 Tips to De-Stress Your Job Search

Job seekers are spending long, grueling hours, hitting the job front from multiple angles, but the stress is becoming unbearable. So, I decided to build a list of de-stressing tips which hopefully provide you with some relief.

1. Take stock in what you have. When did our personal worth become indicative upon a j-o-b? No doubt, the loss of income will force us to make some difficult decisions, but never will our income, possessions, or number of/type of credit cards we hold even come close to representing our self-worth.

My husband reminded me yesterday of what beautiful grandsons we have; and no matter the kind of day I’m having, or the day they’ve had, we grace each other with smiles, hugs, and kisses. They don’t care about the job I have [or that I even have one]; they don’t care about the fanciness of clothes I wear; they don’t care about successes and failures I’ve had in my professional life. They care about my well-being, my happiness, and about the fullness of my “you’re loved” Grammy meter. =]

It’s too dang easy to lose sight of what *really* does matter, sadly concerning ourselves more about what’s secondary, maybe even irrelevant; i.e. why didn’t I get a response to my resume; why didn’t I get that call from the recruiter like he promised; and, why am I not getting interviews. You can stress about the “whys”, but at the end of the day, they are meaningless.

2. Embrace that you’re a pea in a pod. So many around you are facing the same job-search challenges, and although it might feel like you’re alone, maybe on your own deserted island, you are not alone.

I bet you have plenty to offer others who are unemployed – even if it’s just an open ear. What’s the best way for us to de-stress and shift focus from our own problems? Helping others always works for me.

Where can you find a “pea buddy”? How about …

■ Online forums
■ Local job clubs
■ Business groups
■ Networking events

“Let’s conquer this together.”

Click here to read part 2 of this article