7 Ways to Reduce Job Search Anxiety and Stress

Inside: Are you experiencing job search anxiety and stress? You aren’t alone! Take this advice from Kristina Kirby from Resumist to recharge and reset.

Job hunting can be a tiresome, consuming, and all-around no-fun activity, so it’s common to get stressed out in the process.

Searching, applying, getting rejected – it’s a lot!

Plus, the job market is ever-evolving. Some professions end up with a surplus of job seekers while the opposite is true for others. This constant shift in trending jobs, and changes in the economic landscape, can make matters even more difficult.

Because of the stress and anxiety that comes along with job seeking, it’s important to find tools to calm your nerves, find your center, and allow you the mental space to keep pushing through.

7 Ways to Reduce Job Search Anxiety and Stress

1. Set A Schedule

Sometimes job hunting can become so overwhelming that you forget that there are things within this process you CAN control. Like your time!

As suggested in The New York Times, one way to calm job search anxiety and stress is to set up a routine and strictly schedule your time throughout the day. When you are unemployed, creating a “workday” for yourself allows you to feel, and be, more productive. A daily schedule and weekly goals can also help you take time to relax without feeling guilty. You’ve put in the work – a break is a good thing!

2. Learn New Skills

Let’s stay on the concept of taking back control! You can also control what skills you bring to the job search table.

Some skills may be job-related like learning to code, taking a digital marketing course, or learning a language. Learning new professional skills while job searching can open new doors of opportunity.

Or you could focus on hobby-based skills like trying out a new recipe, painting, running, etc. Hobbies can help ease tension from the stress of job hunting and you can also tap into your hobbies for career inspiration!

3. Choose a New Direction

Oftentimes, we get caught up in the rat race and try to go for jobs that everyone approves of, but those jobs precisely might not be the ones for you. If you’re going after a job that deep down you don’t actually want, that’s only going to increase your job search anxiety and stress.

Take this time to re-evaluate yourself, your goals, your passions, and what you really want to pursue. This process can be invigorating, motivating, and exactly what you need to shake off the stress and lean into the excitement of a new path forward.

Start here with this free training – How to Land a Fulfilling Job You Love Without Giving Up the Flexibility You Need.

4. Tap into Helpful Tools

You know you need a great resume, but if you’re tired of trying to figure out how to design your resume on your own, you don’t have to!

Try using Resumist.com: A Smart Resume Builder. This resume builder, with 4000+ free designs, allows you to create and build your resume in any color scheme, layout, and allows limitless edits to be made. You can also create multiple versions of your resumes on their site which helps you have all your different resumes in one structured place rather than scattered about.

Resumist can really help get your creativity flowing when building a resume and it serves as a fun, productive way to keep yourself motivated during stressful times.

5. Stay Social

Job hunting can be an isolating activity and with your stress levels on high, you might feel guilty for spending time with your family and friends instead of spending all your time applying to more jobs. But keeping yourself locked away is actually counterproductive.

When you isolate yourself, you end up increasing your stress levels, which can decrease morale and productivity. Yikes.

Remember how we talked about scheduling? Some of that schedule needs to be for socialization to boost those happy endorphins, and keep you connected with those who support you, care about you, and can even help you with your job search.

6. Know the Stats

Some of the job search anxiety and stress you’re feeling may be based on a timeline in your head. If you need some reassurance that this process takes time for everyone – here it is!

“On average, it takes about 3-6 months from start to finish to get a job, and you have an 8.3% probability of getting a job interview from one job application,” said FlexJobs Career Coach, Cidnye Work. “That means it could take as many as 10-20 applications to get one interview.”

I know you’re not psyched to hear that, but putting this into perspective can take some of the pressure off.

7. Take a Break

When the job search starts impacting your health and mental well-being it’s best to take a step back and let yourself rest a bit before you completely burn out. Stepping back will allow you to take that necessary breather to collect and rejuvenate yourself and help you focus on any other pending priorities in life.

Give yourself a day with no job applications. Step away from your email. Get outside! A break is not going to derail your search. In fact, it might be exactly what you need.

You’ve Got This, Job Seeker!

The key takeaway here – the job search is stressful, but you can get through this with breaks, friends, and helpful tools!

With the strategies above you’ll be on your way to a healthier, happier, and more productive you. And that healthier, happier you will be heading into a new job before you know it!