3 Tips to Preserve Your Sanity During a Holiday Job Search
Simply Hired Staff
Although many people take a break from their job searches during the holiday season, companies continue to hire new employees year-round. Simply Hired’s October 2015 data reports 4.5 million jobs available across the US. This represents a nearly 11% increase over the number of open positions in January 2015.
If you are considering a search, this is a good time to throw your hat in the ring. January is typically the month with the highest surge in job searches, and getting a jump on the competition is always a strategic move.
While job searching during the holidays is a fine strategy, it may make a personally and professionally chaotic time even more hectic. As the books close for the year, holiday gatherings are in full swing, and professionals aim to send their holiday wishes to their clients and customers, there is a lot to manage already.
Your aim is ambitious. But exercising careful adherence to your boundaries, thoughtful planning and good self-care can help make this totally doable. Consider these strategies to keep you sane while you search:
Emotionally compartmentalize
Protect yourself from becoming overwhelmed by ensuring that everything doesn’t hit you at once. When you are at work, disassociate from your job search. You can think about that when you get home. When you are job searching, don’t worry about holiday shopping. You can do that when you have finished your job search responsibilities for the day. Rigidly adhere to your boundaries. Do things in bite size pieces, and be realistic about what you can accomplish in one sitting.
Create to-do lists
Panic sets in when you worry that you are forgetting something, so in this case make yourself a to do list, even if that’s not usually your style. There are times when the volume and diversity of responsibilities are vast enough that the only way to ensure control is to find a basis for operations. A to-do list gives you a central point where you know that you can always go to make sure that you are on task. It gives you control when you have a lot of balls in the air.
Don’t overbook yourself
This holiday season, give yourself permission to exercise extra self care. Maybe that means you don’t bake dozens of cookies this year, or you ask your spouse or partner to take the lead on the holiday shopping. Maybe this year you try a catered holiday feast, or perhaps you don’t travel.
Decide where you can simplify your holiday plans to make this season more manageable. This year, you need to reserve your energy for your job search and the transition that you have in the works.
Tradition is a lovely thing, but some years self preservation is simply more important. So make that your priority and your gift to yourself this holiday season. Next year when you are happily ensconced in your new position you can revisit those traditions that you love, and you will have the energy to relish them to the fullest.
