Job hunting is hard — really hard. And you may want it to just be over. But it’s important to stay grounded throughout the process so you can make smart decisions along the way. Try these strategies to keep stress at bay:
- Make an appointment with worry. Instead of letting anxious thoughts (“Are they going to call me back? “Will I ever find a job I love?”) tug at your attention all day, schedule an appointment with those heavy thoughts and only visit them once a day at a designated time. Tell yourself, “Each day at 9 AM I will give this subject five minutes of my complete focus.” Then, when those thoughts come to you at other times, as they will, remind yourself that you’ve got an appointment to think about those things later, and try to move on.
- Focus on the process, not the outcome. Take the interview. Rather than fixate on whether you’ll get the job or not, spend time visualizing your best performance. Imagine the way you want to show up — confident, smiling, prepared. This will clear away some of the stress and allow you to perform at your best when the moment arrives.
- Set aside time to think through possible futures. It’s easy to get caught up in the process, but don’t rush into anything. If you do get an offer, sit with it for at least 24 hours to give yourself enough space to consider which decision is going to most fulfill you and your long-term goals.
Overall it’s all about keeping calm and managing self and focus on the process instead of the outcome.