When you’re in a job search, every day can seem like an unrelenting uphill climb. (Unless you’re taking the morning off and hiking, in which case you do come down eventually…)
Open your computer, search for jobs, tailor your resume, search LinkedIn, call your networking contact.
And, all the while, your mind spins… what do I do next? Why am I not hearing back? Should I be doing something different? What if I can’t find something?
If you don’t already have a mindfulness/meditation practice, you may be missing out on a great way to stay above the mental turmoil.
In mindfulness,
-You train your mind daily to notice but not respond to stressful thoughts
-You practice inserting a “pause” between thought and reaction
-You observe the thoughts (both negative and positive) that are flowing through your mind, and can pinpoint ways you may be your own worst critic/roadblock
Here’s a very thoughtful article from Idealist.org on mindfulness in your job search: 3 Tips for a More Mindful (and Less Stressful) Job Search and here (this is related to Mindfulness at Work but is still spot-on): 4 Ways to be Mindful at Work
What if the few minutes that you spend being mindful each day could significantly improve your search?