how to overcome depression during job search

Perceived social support will mediate the relation between seeking of social support and problematic SMU. I opened up to someone whom I thought would be safe to share my thoughts and struggles with about the toll job searching has taken on my mental health. They simply said it’s just part of the job searching process with indifference and 0 empathy from their tone of voice. So needless to say I immediately regretted even speaking about it.

Yielding to job hunting depression has several adverse mental and physical effects. By seeking solutions to this common phenomenon, you’re actively working on your personal well-being. Endless job hunting can lead to feelings of exhaustion and burnout. Fear and anxiety aren’t going to help your job hunting prospects. And they’re certainly not going to help your psychological well-being.

Make plans with other people.

Being too hard on yourself can hinder the job search process. A lack of self-compassion and being critical of your flaws prevents others from seeing your positive attributes. Feeling hopeless about your job search can stem from applying for jobs that aren’t right for you. You might not have the right skills for the job you’re applying for.

At the end of each day, you can feel satisfied that you completed what you set out to accomplish. When you feel like you’re at the bottom of a hole (or bouncing off the walls with restlessness), focusing on tackling your job search can feel https://remotemode.net/blog/job-search-depression-exists-and-it-has-to-be-addressed/ daunting. In these moments, it’s important to be kind to yourself rather than heaping judgment onto your already off-kilter state. “I was kind of building up the courage to write and publish something like that for a while,” she says.

How to Take Care of Yourself and Cope with Job Search Depression

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• Depression doesn’t discriminate– it happens to good people all of the time.
• I am following social distance guidelines & am not leaving my house much.
• What about job-specific skills you could have more experience with?
• Older workers are valuable, and they have years of experience that’ll ensure they land a job that’s just right for them.
• There are all kinds of reasons a person may experience situational depression—including an ongoing, unsuccessful job search.
• Job searching provoked a wealth of negative feelings in the participants.

Haram developed various coping mechanisms throughout her work search. Here’s how she quelled her nerves and why Cassine believes these are useful tactics for anyone else dealing with anxiety. By September, Haram was either oversleeping or having trouble sleeping.

How stress trackers can help you stay calm

Today’s society judges people by occupation and income, practically equating a job to an identity. Associating success with career achievements and material purchases turns out to be harmful to employees and society in general. A study by Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index proves that there is a correlation between employment and psychological well-being. People who don’t have a job are twice as likely to suffer from depression. Moreover, the longer a person stays unemployed, the higher the chances of being depressed.

If you have any doubt about whether job search depression is real or not, consider this. Gender differences in the dimensionality of social support1. If you want to talk with other people struggling to find a job while depressed, visit Supportiv‘s instant, anonymous chat.

The feelings are more intense, present for most of the time, and have a stronger impact on different areas of your life, including your concentration, decision-making, energy levels, sleep, and eating patterns. Consider what skills you need or plan to develop if you apply to a particular position in a specific company. These can consist of moving to another country, getting promoted, expanding your knowledge in some way, etc.

Look toward the future and get excited about those other jobs you had your eye on. Try not to take it personally if you’re not the right fit. Remember that the company you’re applying for has many factors to consider. You might be a brilliant project manager with all the right certifications and experience.

Feeling tired for no reason is one of the symptoms of psychological fatigue. Your mind is tired from constant stress and projects this state onto your body. They can exist in various forms and mess up your sleeping schedule. Most commonly, people who suffer from depression find it hard to fall asleep at night and get out of bed in the morning. Because of that, depressed people may sleep too much or too little. In both cases, it is unhealthy for the human body and can lead to even more serious symptoms.

• The solution to job-search depression isn’t as easy as hitting the pavement and sending out more résumés.
• It also prevents you from fully accepting yourself for the person you are.
• But, as time goes on, it can become harder and harder to stay positive and hopeful, and it can ultimately lead to negative feelings and even job depression.
• And they’re certainly not going to help your psychological well-being.

In addition to the blows to your self-esteem that rejection can bring, your emotional health suffers in other ways. You might think your skills and abilities aren’t strong enough for your chosen career, or you pursued the wrong degree altogether. Maybe you feel embarrassed seeing that your fellow graduates are snagging jobs, but you’re still unemployed. Perhaps you feel a loss of control over your destiny, or feel lonely, unloved, or hopeless.