Seven self-care tips to reduce job-search stress over the festive season

The festive period is known to be a joyful time, but also an incredibly demanding one!  With long ‘to-do’ lists, extra obligations and deadlines all around, even the most laid-back person can feel the pressure.  Add looking for a new job into the mix and winter can easily be the most stressful time of the year!  So, here are our self-care tips to help you reduce stress while job hunting over the festive season.

Stay social

It’s easy to become so focused on the ‘employee’ part of your identity that you forget about the other parts of your life. Spend time with friends and family, especially over the festive period, to remind yourself of why you work and what is most important in your life.

Create a shortlist of vacancies

When you feel stressed about getting a new job it can be easy to go for every opportunity you see, make a big list and send your CV to everyone! That means more things to track, more interviews to organize, and more stress each day.

By all means, make a long list of all of the vacancies you see but, rather than applying for everything, have a real think about what you want, where your skills lie, and whether the salary/benefits are right for you.

If you jump head first into a job that’s not right, just because you are feeling overwhelmed about the job-hunting process, you will find yourself back looking for a job faster than ever! Take your time, and narrow down the list of options.

Take a break

Do not burn out. If you spend all day and night thinking about it, searching for roles, and sending applications in, you will run out of steam and the stress will build. Like any project, set times to work on it, and times to relax and recuperate. When you are not working or looking for a job, try and get a change of scene – go outside, or even to a different room or space in your home and do something without a screen for an hour. It will help you immensely.

Break down the tasks

It’s common to assume that if you don’t start searching today that you’ll miss the job opportunity of a lifetime but, if you rush into it, you will be unprepared and anxious. Instead, break down the big task of finding a new job into smaller, more manageable ones, and give yourself time to complete each activity.

For instance, on the first two days you can work on updating your CV. On Days Three and Four, you can perfect your cover letter, and on Days Five and Six you can work on your LinkedIn profile. A week to prepare is not too much to ask of yourself and a plan will help to stop you from panicking.

Stay positive

It can be challenging to think of a positive future when you are stuck in a mire of anxiety and stress, but having a positive attitude will help you stay upbeat and it will be much more attractive to recruiters.  Even if you’ve suffered rejection to date, remember that it is just an inevitable part of the process and it is not something to dwell on. A positive mindset will help you to learn from rejection and move forwards towards the next opportunity.

Reward yourself

Don’t wait until the acceptance letter to celebrate; reward yourself at each step of the job hunt journey to keep your spirits up and to reflect on what you’ve achieved so far.

Don’t miss the stress

If your anxiety is affecting other areas of your life and health, then it is time to speak to someone about it. Don’t accept that it is a natural part of the process if the job hunt is causing you anxiety attacks, disrupting your sleep, or affecting your relationships. Seek help.

Your next employer wants to see you at your best, so take care of yourself first, and the rest will follow – good luck!

If you’re feeling the job hunt pressure, get in touch with Tiger today. We can help you find your dream role.

Author Rebecca Siciliano Tiger Recruitment Team