Apply These 7 Tips to Your Unemployment Depression

Throw in losing your job, and feeling a lack of purpose and financial worries, on top of these general struggles and feeling down, anxious or depressed is a totally normal experience. I am CEO of Cheeky Scientist, the world’s premier career training platform for PhDs. If you want free insights on resumes, LinkedIn, interviewing, careers and more, just enter your details below. There are endless jobs to apply to, networking events to attend, and people to connect with. Being meticulous and strategic in your job search will help you to quickly regroup after a rejection.

• You can end up spending every day glued to the computer, which only fuels your frustration when you hear nothing positive in return.
• It’s important to keep a positive outlook and to create small, specific goals for yourself so that you can see measured progress over time.
• It will be helpful to think of this as a marathon rather than a sprint.
• I keep making mistakes and we’re not even doing what I used to do anymore because of Covid, if anything it got easier but so fuckin boring and life draining.
• The toll that job hunting can take on your energy, optimism, and self-esteem can be hard to grapple with.

It can go beyond your career planning if you’re feeling despondent about your job search. It might affect your personal connections as well as your personal development. Self care is the number one tip that experts have for those who are experiencing job hunting depression. Take the time to care for yourself, instead of only focusing on results, as this can lead you to burnout and depression on your search. When it comes to self care, sleep is our foundation for a healthy and sound mind. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this even more, with many people losing their jobs and struggling mentally as a result.

‘To not even get an interview made me think, why bother?’

You should have a running spreadsheet of the companies and positions you’re interested in. Most importantly, step away from negative mentors or academic advisors and seek out positive leaders to help you. Join a trusted community or association so you don’t feel like you’re the only one going through this.

“People with mental health issues don’t do well with uncertainty. Cheeky Scientist is the world’s leading networking platform for PhDs interested in transitioning into industry. With up to 200,000 monthly readers and members, we are a global authority on helping PhDs engage with other PhDs and professionals currently working in industry.

Job hunting is ruining my mental health (short rant)

A 2022 review of 9 studies and 4,864 participants found that those who were unemployed had 28% higher depressive symptom scores than employed people. Mr. Witters said research showed that setting and reaching goals had a strong inverse relationship to depression. Dealing emotionally with this sort of adversity is a skill few of us have been taught, and it requires building new habits in our personal lives. In life, you can only influence so many things, like how much grace you allow yourself and when to ask for help. That job offer may not come when you want it, but it’ll come soon enough. You haven’t failed because you haven’t found a job yet — many people are in the same situation.

There is always hope for those suffering from job search depression. Remember that no matter the outcome of your job searching and the number of rejections you’ve received, your current situation doesn’t define you. By not yielding to job search anxiety, https://remotemode.net/ you’re facing your challenges head-on and actively working on your personal well-being. A key tip for how to deal with job depression is to maintain perspective. If you have any doubt about whether job search depression is real or not, consider this.

What are the symptoms of job search depression?

Because depression can come and go in waves for some people, it’s possible you’ll convince yourself you’re past this most recent bout of symptoms in light of the excitement you feel. Beyond the interview process, maintaining a positive mindset makes you a better candidate for recruiters. Research has found that optimistic employees are 103% more inspired to give their best effort at work. External factors outside your control can contribute to job depression. Maybe you think it’s just temporary and will go away if you find a job — and if your depressive symptoms are situational, it may.

It can extend into your personal relationships and your self-growth. All they get to see is a document that highlights your career. Rejection https://remotemode.net/blog/job-search-depression-exists-and-it-has-to-be-addressed/ here has nothing to do with your worth as a person but simply the hiring manager’s opinion on your ability to fulfill a role.

Cultivate a support system

In a 2014 Gallup Poll study, they found that 1 in 5 Americans without a job for a year or more report that they’ve been or are currently undergoing treatment for depression. This is roughly double the rate of depression among those who’ve been without a job for fewer than 5 weeks. If losing the job wasn’t bad enough, the job search following it can ravage one’s mind. Doing immeasurable harm to their psyche, self-esteem, and overall mental health. The reason that meditation can help with depression is because it changes your body and mind’s response to negative thinking.

• Whatever helps you to keep your head above water, make sure you’re prioritizing it during your job hunt.
• If you’re finding it hard to socialize, start small, Dr. Norris said.
• Job search depression differs in that the feelings of depression are brought on by the job search process.
• “It won’t take away from your job hunt, you just simply won’t plan any interviews for that day,” Mahalli says.