Being unemployed can be an incredibly disheartening experience. The average job search takes a lot longer than it used to. Many Americans have thrown in the towel after searching for a few months with no avail. There are ways to maintain your positive attitude throughout the process.
Sara Murray of the Wall Street Journal reports that Americans are on average ending their job search after about five months of unemployment. This means that millions of people are on the sidelines and are thus not being counted in the unemployment rate. These people still take a heavily negative toll on the economy and are still very much in need of a job. It’s easy to become discouraged after an extensive period of time with no success, especially if you know others who are facing the same circumstances. It is important that you don’t give up hope.
Curt Rosengren of US News has provided some tips as to how to maintain your sanity during a job search. You should get yourself into a daily routine and stay active. This routine should include exercise. Exercise will fend off stress and give you the energy and endurance necessary to move past defeats. Your routine should also include surrounding yourself with positive people who you can reach out to for support. These people can inject fun into your life and may be able to encourage you to persevere even when you feel like giving up.
You should also focus your efforts inward and engage in meditation, it’s a great way to help you feel grounded. If you don’t feel like meditation is for you consider keeping a journal. Write down what you are thankful for and what is positive in your life. Reminding yourself of what’s good in your life can fend off depression. These journals can also help you to focus on the big picture and what really matters to you in life. You should also take stock of what makes you so great; remind yourself of your positive attributes. You’ll need to be able to sell yourself in a job interview and this self analysis can help you to present yourself as a cohesive and desirable package to a potential employer.
Keep your focus on the present. It is really easy to get carried away with what ifs and future concerns but the only thing you can change is the present. By concentrating on your present situation you are less likely to become overwhelmed and are thus more likely to garner positive results. It’s hard to ignore the pressure of the future, but life happens in the present.
Remember that everything happens for a reason. It can be very helpful for you to look for a lesson in your current experiences. Take the negative and turn it into something positive. We grow most out of our challenges and mistakes so allow yourself to capitalize on this opportunity to learn something new about yourself and about the world.
Let go of the way things should be and accept reality for what it is this will prevent frustration and keep you focused. In order to ensure you do all of these things take the time to assess your focus. Make sure you are staying in the present and maintaining a positive attitude. If you do this you’ll be better able to handle the drawn out process of searching for a job and will be less likely to give up hope after a few months without success.
