We’re seeing a trend where candidates are applying for a high number of roles and being ghosted without any closure, feedback, or outcome. Once or twice you can manage, but when the disappointment is a constant, your mental wellbeing can struggle. 

Here are some strategies to help you protect your mental health during the job search. 

1. Set your job seeking goals and targets 

If you’ve ever had a running to-do list that never gets done, where you never feel that satisfaction in crossing off tasks because other things keep getting in the way, well, it can feel pretty disheartening. You might disengage from your work and sink into negative self-talk that you’ll never succeed. You may feel like giving up. 

Creating a sense of achievement is critical to keep you going. The same applies to the​  job search. 

Try breaking things down into smaller goals to make your days and weeks more manageable. 

Here’s how to use goal setting to build your momentum: 

1. Use the OKR method to set daily and weekly job seeking objectives and measurable results. 
2. Note how and when you’ll achieve each goal. 
3. Plan a check-in at the start and end of every week to focus and track your progress. 
4. Celebrate every goal you meet (go big or small). 

2. Find your ‘third place’ (if you don’t already have one) 

Your third place is a familiar place where you connect with others, known and unknown, over a shared interest or activity. An obvious example would be your local café. You might get friendly with the barista and your fellow caffeine addicts and their dogs, who linger and chat about small stuff and big stuff while awaiting orders. Some say that the internet is starting to replace the traditional third place, with the use of social media and instant messaging platforms like Slack to recreate that sense of community. 

If you’re in between jobs and/or working from home, you might feel more isolated and alone than if you had an office routine and colleagues to interact with. Which is why it’s a good idea to find a place where you feel comfortable, welcome, and connected. 

3. Mind the negative self-talk 

Did you know that the average human has more than 6000 thoughts per day? That’s 500 per hour and over eight thoughts per minute! 

Most thoughts pop into our head automatically. And unfortunately, when we’re in critical and high-pressure moments throughout life, it’s common for negative self-talk and a sense of doubt to take centre-stage. This is why it’s important to learn how to manage your thoughts and stop the negative self-talk before it can take hold. 

5 ANT-eater strategies to help you cope 

Mitchell Mclean shared these five Automatic Negative Thought eating strategies with us earlier this year: 

1. Thought detective – Ask yourself: What evidence is there that this talk is fact? 
2. Pros and cons list – Apply logic by listing all the positive and negative outcomes that could occur (you’ll probably find it’s not as negative as you first think) 
3. Create grey – Nothing in life is black and white. Think about the possibilities that exist between perfection and failure. 
4. Ditch the crystal ball – Remind yourself that there’s no way to know the future. Have you assigned yourself to failure already? If so, what’s the process of avoiding failure? 
5. Perfection – Perfection doesn’t exist. Ask yourself: Am I allowing myself space to make mistakes as part of learning? What have I learned from this experience? 

Practice these strategies with journalling and self-reflection, and make time to check in with family and friends about how you’re coping. Once you’re thinking critically about your thought process, you can identify, acknowledge, and challenge any problems. 

4. Create a mindful home with Sesame Street 

When we aren’t feeling ourselves, those around us will often feel the effects, too. If you’ve been laid off or your routine and demeanour have changed around the home, your children can feel that shift. But children can also be overlooked in discussions about mental health. 

Sesame Street launched a campaign focused on supporting the emotional wellbeing of young children, with content designed for the whole family. You can catch Elmo’s Mindfulness Spectacular here. 

It’s a challenging time for everyone right now. Throwing an exhaustive job search into turbulent waves just increases the mental load. These strategies can help job seekers protect their mental health as you work towards better outcomes.