I really struggled with my mental health during the job search after I was laid off. I took my layoff really personally. There was so much blame - blame on my manager for being a jerk, blame for me not realizing it was coming. I was really mad about the entire situation. I just bought a house. I was living in a new town. Everything just felt like a lot.
Each morning, I could feel this tension building in my chest. My Mom had a heart attack very early in life so I wasn’t going to risk staying stressed. I needed to do something to take this angry edge off. So every day, I ran a big hill just outside my neighborhood. It might sound weird, but it was the only thing that made me feel like I wasn’t going to be featured on an episode of Snapped.
Inside my mind, I was cussing and swearing but making it to the top was that little win I needed every day. The feelings were swelling, but today I look at it a little differently. I realize now that emotion wasn’t just anger, it was grief.
How Harmful Can It Be? Very.
No matter the circumstances, months of interviews, wrangling over pay, benefits, and options take a psychological toll. More than half of candidates even say searching for a job is harmful to their health. Personally, I wonder what the other half are smoking to feel so relaxed about all the chaos.
There’s just nothing to feel good about when you’re constantly dodging rejection and spending hours trying to “do the right thing” whatever the hell that means. In fact, ghosting - so not even actual rejection but a lack of an answer altogether - was the #1 stressor on job seekers.
Looking at a chart of what job seekers reported to be the most anxiety inducing honestly made me feel a little anxious. From negotiating salary to filling out applications and interviews, the job search simply doesn’t set people up for success.
How To Deal With Job Search Stress
Now, when I asked folks on LinkedIn for their advice for people struggling with job search depression, I got a lot of the typical "exercise, take a walk, drink water, meditate" stuff. But there were also reminders that, while they may not be mind blowing and out of the box, they are important and don’t usually show up on the list. Shoutout to all these folks for their contributions.
Raghda Thabet: I intentionally ask people to apply for jobs that are out of reach sometimes, only to train them to be at peace with rejection. Do not be obsessed with the end result, but rather try to ‘enjoy’ the process.
Bernadette Pawlik: Find 5 occasions each day to compliment someone.
Melanie Mitchell Wexler: Self-care isn’t selfish — it's essential. By taking care of your mental health, you'll be better equipped to handle the ups and downs of the job search process with resilience and clarity.
Tiffanie D.: Don't forget, you are inherently valuable as a human. No one brings the unique combination of experience, perspective, intelligence, humor, and beauty that you do. Your worth is not defined by your job title, or by what strangers think about your resume.
Barb Buckner: Honestly, start with letting yourself go through the grieving process of being laid off instead of trying to suppress it or push through it. As much as people say “it’s not personal” - it really is, as we tend to identify with the role we had so having it suddenly ripped up from underneath through no fault of our own. Take baby steps when you are ready. There is clarity that comes after you get through the sadness that will help you put yourself in a much better mindset to then focus on a new job search.
Emily Mucken: Be careful about the media you're consuming - music can really change your mood, for the better or worse; same with movies and shows, and social media.
Ms. Tiffany Toussaint: Do not scroll LinkedIn. The “I just started a new job” posts will add to your stress and anxiety.
And my advice for job search depression?
- When you feel funked up - do something. Maybe run a hill. Go take a shower. Just do something different. Sitting there and forcing yourself to apply to 12 more jobs isn’t it.
- Remember that effort doesn't equal output in a job search. Just because you take an afternoon off doesn't mean you'll never get a job.
- Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
More job search advice you might love for job search depression:
