(Written in response to LinkedIn invitation to provide my thought on this subject.)
Navigating the uncertainties of unemployment can are tough. Will my severance package last until I find a new position? How long will my savings last? Will I be able to pay my bills and provide for my family? How can I afford healthcare? On and on and on such questions can formulate, echo, and bounce around throughout our brains, sometimes looming into a nightmarish sense of existence until things get resolved. How do you manage fear and anxiety in the face of these uncertainties? Many things can be said about the various dynamics of unemployment and the hunt for a job. The focus here is on how to maintain courage and well-being. Here are some key things to consider:
1. Connect with Your People (Lean into Friends)
Life’s better with friends, period. When things are tough, like during a job search, they’re essential. Use this time to build stronger connections. Be open about your concerns and fears – get vulnerable. Let them do the same. Knowing you’re not alone makes a huge difference. This sense of belonging actually helps reduce stress; social connection can boost oxytocin, a hormone that calms your body’s stress response. As the saying goes, “No man is an island” (often attributed to John Donne); we genuinely need each other.
2. Build a Daily Framework (Structure and Routine)
When things feel chaotic, a solid daily routine can be a game-changer. Get up at the same time. Make exercise a non-negotiable part of your day – it’s proven to help mood. Set specific times for job hunting, writing cover letters, and also for breaks. Give yourself some goals and create systems to hit them. Maybe tackle that project you’ve been putting off. Accomplishing things, even small ones, gives you a sense of purpose and shows you that you’re making progress, which is crucial. This predictability can also lessen anxiety by giving your brain a clear plan, reducing that overwhelmed feeling.
3. Actively Look for the Good (Focus on Gratitude)
Fear drains your energy and kills creativity. Anxiety can trap you in a negative loop, ruining rest and making everything seem worse – “Fatigue makes cowards of us all,” as Vince Lombardi famously said. One of the best ways to fight this is to consciously focus on what’s good in your life and be thankful for it. A roof over your head? A bed? People who care? Actively acknowledge these things. Tell people you appreciate them and why. It encourages you and them. Gratitude helps shift your focus off your problems and back towards a more balanced perspective. Neuroscience suggests that practicing gratitude can actually increase activity in brain areas associated with positive emotions and lower stress.
4. Help Someone Else (Find a Way to Serve)
Serving others genuinely helps them and you. It gets your mind off your own troubles and can lift you out of a fearful state. When you do something that adds real value to another person, it’s encouraging for everyone involved. There’s even a term, “helper’s high,” for the positive feeling and stress reduction that can come from altruistic acts, partly thanks to a release of endorphins.
5. Find Reasons to Laugh (Find Humor and Laughter)
Laughter is a surprisingly powerful tool against fear and anxiety. When you laugh, it actually changes your brain chemistry, releasing endorphins that have a calming effect. This helps you keep things in perspective, because fear often makes situations seem much worse than they are. Laurence Gonzales, in his book, Deep Survival, discusses the power of humor and laughter as one of the characteristics that aid survival in real life and death scenarios. Charlie Chaplin reportedly said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” These are good things to keep in mind.
6. Do Things You Genuinely Enjoy
Life can be a grind even without a job hunt. Don’t let fear push you into non-stop, obsessive action. Make time for activities you actually like. This isn’t being lazy; it’s necessary self-care that helps lower stress and anxiety, giving your mind a break.
7. Learn About Yourself and Explore Options (Learn More about Yourself and Dream of Possibilities)
Use this time for some self-reflection. A personality assessment can offer new insights. (I recommend the “5 Voices” assessment. Free version here: compass.giantos.com/store/5-voices) Think about how what you learn could influence your next job or even a career change. Your brain is capable of adapting and forming new connections (neuroplasticity), so learning and considering new paths can genuinely help you feel more hopeful and in control. Consider hiring a coach to help navigate this period and develop new strategies.
8. Remember: This Won’t Last Forever (This Too Shall Pass)
It’s a common phrase because it’s true. The vast majority of people throughout history have faced and overcome significant difficulties—often significantly worse difficulties. While your current situation is challenging, it is temporary. Keeping that broader perspective can help.
9. Consider Prayer or Meditation
Perhaps this should have been mentioned first. Whatever your personal beliefs, many find comfort and strength in prayer or meditation. Research indicates that these practices can have real benefits, even for those without a specific faith. Studies have shown the resulting effects to promote calmer brainwave patterns, reducing activity in the brain’s fear center (the amygdala). I believe there is a very personal God who is involved and who listens and who answers. We are told in the Bible to cast our cares on to Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
Ultimately, diminishing the grip of fear and anxiety is not about completely eradicating these natural human emotions, but about cultivating the courage to move forward in their presence. By consciously engaging the practices above, you not only benefit your own well-being and that of those around you, but you also bring a clearer, more resilient, and more powerful version of yourself to the very pursuit of your job hunt itself.