I’m changing things up a bit this week because I felt that I needed to talk about job search, resilience, and mental health.
Lately, things haven’t been going as well as I hoped they would.
I’m still staying at my relative’s (which is an entirely different story that I don’t want to go into right now). I’m still working 3 part-time jobs when I should be working 1 full-time job.
And… I have had this constant feeling of being lost while everyone else has their lives all put together.
The past year has been crazy for everyone. For my case though, it wasn’t what I really expected it to be because I moved to a new country AND have been experiencing the whole COVID lockdown alongside that.
I’m not saying that I’m not grateful that I have a place to stay and some source of income. I know others have it worse.
When life throws you a curveball… right?
Job Search and Resilience
We all know that job search routine.
There’s the online application way:
- Look for jobs online.
- Tailor your resume to fit the job.
- Write a cover letter.
- Submit your application.
- Hope that you get a positive response.
And the networking route:
- Request for an informational interview with someone in your line of work.
- Keep constant contact.
- Hope you get a referral or a job.
Regardless of how you do your job hunt, you’ll always hear the same advice: Be resilient. (Or something along those lines)
Believe you me, we’ve all tried our best to be resilient. Even during my search for product manager positions (since I was so inclined to shift careers last year), I knew I had no chance but I still pushed through with applying. I never heard back from any of them but… at least I tried?
So what is resilience? According to Psychology Today, “Resilience is the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before.”
And that’s pretty much the value behind the job search process. You learn how much you’re able to take and what lengths you’ll go through. You end up learning more about yourself.
But I’m not here to romanticize this whole thing because the process absolutely s u c k s. It can seriously take a toll on a person. I mean, how much hits can one take before they come crashing down?
We all have our limits. I recently hit mine.
Taking Care of Your Mental Health
I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or any licensed professional that knows about the intricacies of mental health. I’d just like to talk about what I’ve been doing to keep my mind straight.
Practicing Meditation
Prior to this week, I was no advocate of meditation. I never quite understood it because I can’t make my mind shut up. I think I’d tried it once before but my brain simply wouldn’t cooperate so I stopped.
This week was a totally different story now because I knew I had to do something before I spiraled down even further. And I thought, “Why not give meditation another try? It works for other people.” So I did.
And I’m so glad with that decision.
I’m still in the midst of making it a habit as I have only been doing it for 5 days. However, it’s done wonders for me so far. It’s given me a more positive outlook. I’m not too hung up over the future.
When looking for an app that would help me in this practice, I tried to stay away from the mainstream ones like Headspace and Calm. Why? I don’t really know. I wanted to try something else.
Luckily, I stumbled upon Medito.
Simple. Straightforward. Plus it gives you a chance to acclimate to the meditation practice with their beginner and intermediate courses.
You really can’t go wrong with this.
Making a Habit of Exercising
Ah, a tale as old as time.
Do you know how many times I’ve started working out then end up stopping by the 2nd week? Too. Many.
I’m making sure that I stick to what I’m doing now because it’s really been working well for me.
Anyway, I figured out why I always end up ditching working out. It’s because:
- No accountability.
- Simply not enjoying the type of exercise I follow.
- Laziness.
- I don’t like dieting.
On point 2, I found out what I enjoyed – cardio dance workouts.
I don’t dance at all. But I did end up enjoying most of those that I followed on YouTube. I guess the music also distracts me from being conscious of the amount of effort I’m putting into exercising.
I’ve been following Kyra Pro (because Disney! High School Musical!) and The Fitness Marshall (because they’re really fun). They give off such good positive vibes that you can’t help but dance along with them.
There’s also the part of me starting to do yoga. I am telling you that it’s been so hard for me. I’m stiff as a log. I do not bend that way but I hope I achieve some sort of flexibility during all of this.
On point 4, who likes dieting anyway? Food is so good.
Here’s the thing, whenever I started working out, I always had weight loss in mind. When I removed that factor out, I enjoyed it a lot more. I still hope that I lose shed some weight along the way but that isn’t my end goal anymore.
These are just a few things I began doing as I continue with my job search. I’m stressed out, overwhelmed with the numerous things I have to juggle but having that time to just be present takes some weight off my shoulders.
So please, if you’re in the job search process, allow yourself to breathe. Be “in the now” even for just 5 minutes. Observe healthy habits. Be mindful of what you’re telling yourself.
Yes, resilience is important but your mental health is too.