Taking care of your mental health when job seeking
You may have heard the advice “treat the job search process like a job.” This phrase can often bring up feelings of guilt, stress and sadness, as it can be used to blame jobseekers for “just not trying hard enough” or “being lazy.” But the reality is that the job search process is difficult and draining, especially for those of us with a disability. Studies have continuously shown unemployment as a contributing factor to poor mental health. So what can we do about it? Should we really be applying as if it’s our full time job? How can we dedicate time to the process without letting it devour our lives?
When we talk about treating the job search process like a job, it’s important to understand that that does not mean you should be sacrificing your wellbeing every single day to cram in as many applications as possible. Burning yourself out is not productive or helpful. Balance and personal development are important parts of working and they’re equally if not more important when you’re looking for a new role. Instead of just sending out resume after resume, you should be looking into ways to be the best applicant you can be for a job that genuinely interests you while still living a balanced life with time for exercise and hobbies. I spoke to Lime’s career coach, Helen, and here’s what she had to say.
"A job search strategy can help keep you focused as it can include a variety of activities like applying for jobs, networking, professional development, and time off for relaxing. If you like sports, try thinking like a baseball player. The best players get on to base maybe a third of the time. The rest of the time, they head back to the bench. It’s like that with job search: we don’t get invited to interview every time
Tools like time blocking can help you balance job search time with other activities to provide balance and help manage stress. Developing strategies to manage the setbacks that are an inevitable part of a job search can be helpful too. Lime’s Career Coach’s tips include tracking all activity and responses even if the answer is ‘Sorry, we enjoyed meeting you but have gone with another candidate.’
One of the few things we have control over when looking for a job is our activity. Taking action to move our job search forward can help us manage our stress.”
As you can see, Helen has lots of amazing insight as well as actionable advice for jobseekers. Lime Connect Network members can book 1:1 coaching session with Helen free of cost. Finding balance and coming up with a strategy is easier said than done, but the Lime Community Platform is a great place to get started. It is free to use and set up so applicants can connect with Lime Connect partners and fellow jobseekers, attend informative webinars, meet with a career coach and yes, fill out applications. When you apply to a Lime Connect corporate partner, be sure to notify us so we can support your application with our partners. Throughout the process, Lime is here to support you. What tips do you have for looking after yourself during the job search?