3 Ways to Make Your Job Search Less Stressful

Searching for a new job can be incredibly stressful, particularly if you’re currently unemployed. Job search anxiety is a very real problem and for many it can be literally paralysing – a vicious cycle that only gets worse the longer it goes on.

The best way to tackle any form of anxiety is through good coping mechanisms and that’s what we’re here to talk about today. We’ll be exploring how to handle job search stress through three useful tips to help you find a job.

1. Trick Your Brain

If there’s one thing our brains really love it’s a sense of progress. On the flip side, if there’s one thing they really hate it’s the lack of progress – the feeling that no matter how much you try, you’re not getting anywhere.

It’s this need for progress that makes the job search such a punishing process for most people. The reality is that, even if you have a perfect CV, it’s quite normal to get turned down for a job, usually via a form rejection. One or two of these might not feel so bad but after the fourth or fifth, that instinct for pattern spotting kicks in.

Around this time, people often start thinking things like “maybe I’m just not very good at this” or “I’m obviously not the right candidate for this job”.  These are the first warning signs of job search anxiety and it usually gets worse from here.

In reality, four or five rejections isn’t necessarily indicative of anything in particular but try telling that to your instincts. As far as your brain’s concerned, you’re doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result.

So what can you do? How can you force yourself back into the chair to keep sending out applications?

What you have to do is create the illusion of progress. You have to trick yourself into feeling like each application is getting you closer to a finish line because, in essence, it is – you just don’t know how far away that finish line is.

One simple solution that works for many people is to put a number to the task. Tell yourself to apply for a certain number of jobs every day or every week. Once you’ve hit that quota, you’ve made your progress. Keep doing that consistently and, so long as you’ve got a decent CV, you’re almost guaranteed to get a job eventually.

2. Refine Your Process

That’s all well and good, you might be saying, but how can I know for certain that my CV is good enough? What if I’m just wasting all my time.

The thing about job search anxiety – or any anxiety for that matter – is that it has a direct line to your subconscious. It knows about your insecurities and it feeds off of them.

The best way to fight it is through incremental change. Research what makes a good CV – there are tons of great resources online – and do another draft. Try that for a week or two and if that doesn’t work make some more changes. If that still doesn’t work, go and find someone you trust to tell you what you’re doing wrong.

The key is to always stay productive. Try something new, test it, try something else.

You can measure your success by how far you get through the process. If you start hitting the interview stage then you’ll know you’ve nailed the CV and it’s time to work on those face-to-face skills. Again, do your research, and make adjustments to your approach accordingly.

3. Don’t Panic

Finding a job isn’t complicated, in much the same way that lifting weights isn’t really all that complicated.

Yes, there are techniques you can apply and there are certainly a lot of people out there who are only too ready to tell you what you should be doing. Some of them are useful – many of them just want your money. All the same, when you get right down to it, it’s just about turning up every day, putting the work in, and getting it done.

The real trick to fighting job anxiety is just remembering that plain and simple fact.

Most people struggle with tasks we can’t solve overnight. Our brains are wired to deal with big problems as quickly as possible because, in nature, animals don’t have to think in terms of weeks and months.

Job search stress is what happens when those fight or flight instincts have to face a situation that can’t be solved quickly. The way to fight that stress is to take action. Not only will that action help to quiet the voice in your head that’s panicking – it might also find you your new job.