I went to dinner with an old friend last night and she made a point about asking me how I was doing mentally through the job hunt. And I have to say, I think I’m doing surprisingly well. I’ve been referring to my mental health since I restarted this blog to help capture everything around my job search. I won’t lie – during my last job search, I didn’t do as well.
But I’ve approached everything differently this time. It’s helpful that my personal life isn’t as stressful as it was last time. And oddly, I think a silver lining of Covid is that I’m so used to being at home alone with my computer, that this job search is really just a shift in what I’m doing and on what computer. I mean seriously – one of my biggest challenges to date has been to get used to using my Macbook again rather than my old Walgreens PC!
This time, I haven’t been shy about reaching out to old friends. Last time, I was really embarrassed about being laid off and I shouldn’t have been! This time I have no shame about it. What has happened at Walgreens was nothing I could control so I am having no problem saying I was impacted in a mass layoff. That doesn’t seem like a huge shift but for me, it has been. My friends have been nothing but supportive too. So while I’d like to be working, I’m also loving having the time to meet up with people I haven’t seen in years.
The other thing I’m doing differently this time is being much more balanced in my job search/life activities. Last time, I sat at the computer for HOURS AND HOURS at a time scrolling job boards and making myself crazy second guessing what I wanted to do next. This time, I’ve narrowed down the types of roles I want to look at. I’m being thoughtful about what industries I’d like to work in and I’m alternating looking at job boards with taking training that will either sharpen existing skills – or is just about something I’m interested in. I took a seminar on AI last week that was fascinating! (I’ll be following up on that one – I’m having too much fun playing with ChatGPT now!)
And I’m scheduling time for me. I take walks. I’m doing some long delayed projects around the house. I’m crocheting like crazy and even selling some of my work. I’m planning some travel. I’m perfecting my recipe for Oatmeal Raisin cookies. So the balance between the stress of looking for a new job and spending time doing things that make me happy is really keeping things in perspective. Am I thrilled to be unemployed? Certainly not – but I’m keeping the mood swings the job search can cause to a minimum and that feels like a victory.
Are you in a job search too? Need a little advice on keeping your mental equilibrium? Try the tips at this link! https://www.nlsnow.com/resources/the-impact-of-mental-health-on-your-job-search-and-career
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