25 Ways to Stop Worrying About Your Job Search in the Pandemic
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Does worrying about your job search seem like the most important part of your pandemic life? Does your day feel like a never ending cycle that includes waking up, brushing your teeth, drinking your coffee, and staring at job boards that feel like they don’t want you to be happy?
It’s easy to get discouraged or think you need to apply to just 100 more jobs per day to finally land your post-pandemic dream job. If you are unemployed or underemployed you should be applying to jobs, networking with recruiters and former colleagues right now, but self-care is also really important during this time. Self-care doesn’t have to mean slathering a mud mask on your face (though that may help that stress zit parked in the middle of your forehead) but it does mean distracting yourself while waiting to hear back on 1 of the 1,000 jobs you’ve applied to in the last week.
As you know, worrying isn’t going to solve your job search issues so below you’ll find 25 ways to distract yourself. Some of these are going to support your job search while others are designed to boost your endorphins and make worrying impossible. I challenge you to do at least one of these activities per week while you’re waiting to find that one job because it only takes one. These activities are going to help you focus your energy on something that you can control which is the only way to get through this all.
Stop worrying about your job search by working on your job search
Update your resume.
Update your LinkedIn profile and add the “#OPENFORWORK” badge to your LinkedIn profile.
Write and publish a new article on LinkedIn.
Create a cover letter template to make applying for new jobs easier.
Pick up a new skill that you wish you had time for when you were employed.
Stop worrying about your job search by making new friends
6. Book a 4-week power session with me to make sure your application materials are in great shape, that you’re applying for the right jobs, and prepare for those interviews before they happen.
7. Listen to #44 melodically explain his presidency over 29-hours and dream of a time we didn’t worry about the President’s Twitter fingers.
8. Tune into Hip Hop Happy Hour on Friday evenings at 6pm EST.
9. Reach out to or a follow up with a recruiter to stay top of mind for new roles they are posting.
10. Attend The Breast is History December 3rd at 6:30pm EST, an evening of storytelling from breast cancer previvors and survivors—including me!
Missed this event? Follow me on C.D.R.E.A.M. well you’ll learn more about my survivor story.
Stop worrying about your job search by working to investing time in your community
11. Support Georgia Senate campaigns here or here to help flip the Senate blue.
12. Call someone you know isn’t wearing a mask and encourage them to wear a mask. Use this article for backup.
13. Have Postable send Christmas/Hannukah/Holiday/2020 is Over cards to your friends/family/professional contacts.
14. Send a letter of gratitude (snail mail style) to someone who helped you this year.
15. Have a Zoom date with a friend you don’t talk to nearly enough.
Stop worrying about your job search by unwinding
16. Have a solo dance party to boost your dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins—4 chemicals that improve your health and your mood.
17. Start a hobby that has absolutely nothing to do with your career.
18. Make a funky Christmas cocktail. A bottle of grocery store wine listening to All I Want for Christmas totally counts.
19. Rewatch a movie that you know every word of.
20. Start and post a detailed critique of every holiday movie being released this year.
21. Stop scrolling, turn off the screens, unplug, and meditate.
22. Get a jump start on your 2021 vision board.
23. Learn every lyric to Eminem’s Lose Yourself.
24. Do a really intense workout or a less intense one and feel absolutely zero guilt.
25. Cuddle with your favorite person or furry child (or both!)
Pretty soon recruiters are going to head back to the office for full-time hours, the job boards are going to explode with new opportunities, and you’ll be weighing the options between multiple offers. For now, distract yourself when you need to and concentrate on what you can control. Your dream job will show up before you know it.
