There are so many challenges that can potentially set the stage for feeling anxious and overwhelmed and getting stuck in procrastination. Facing financial strain, the pressure to land your next job, and large periods of unstructured time can create the perfect storm of paralysis and despair.

However, there are many strategies you can employ to not only achieve the necessary tasks during this phase but actually thrive.  Below I share the top 5 tactics that you can implement right away.

1. Create a schedule for your day. Determine what time you will wake up and during which hours you will work on your job search.  Be realistic!  You cannot search for work 10 hours a day with no breaks.  Consider working in smaller 1-2 hour blocks of time, planning for a break in between.  Cap your expectation at 4-5 hours per day.  If you consistently work productively at this pace it should be sufficient to reach your goal without feeling burnt out and imbalanced.

2. Be specific about what you will do during each work block.  If you look at your calendar and simply see “look for a job” from 10-12, it will feel too broad and too overwhelming.  This will lead you to procrastinate and succumb to distractions.  Instead, make a list of small yet effective tasks you can complete that contribute positively to your job search.  For example you may list:

1) Edit resume in 1 hour time blocks and send to a colleague for feedback.

2) Make a list of previous mentors and coworkers you can message about your job search and work on each message one by one.

 3) Spend 1 hour time blocks searching specific key words on Linked In such as marketing director, project manager, or customer service manager.

4) Make a list of 5 companies you may like to work for and spend 45 minutes researching one by one looking for key people to contact and company-specific buzzwords to use in your coversation.

5) Research relevant professional organizations and spend 45 minute time blocks on each website.

Then, assign each step into a specific block in your calendar.  Start with the natural order of tasks but beyond that your assignment can be arbitrary.  There is no perfect way to prioritize but knowing specifically what you intend to work on will be more effective than not making any decision.

3. Plan to exercise every single day.  It will do wonders for your mental health not to mention physical health while also enhancing your concentration.  Find activities you enjoy and consider a variety of forms of exercise such as walking, jogging, biking, lifting weights, video workouts, tennis, pickleball, golf, basketball, and cross fit.

4.  Allow time for enjoyable activities.  Just because you are looking for a job doesn’t mean you are not allowed to enjoy day to day life. Create time for hobbies that were once a part of your life or you have always wanted to try.  Give yourself full permission to enjoy this time and the activities.  It does help if you schedule your job search blocks earlier in the day and accomplish what you set out to address from your list.  Congratulate your self for doing what you needed to do for the day, then put all expectation for productivity aside and focus on enjoying your free time.  Again, you can’t possible conduct a job search all day long, and thinking about it all day long is not necessary or essential to finding your job.  In fact, sometimes we become more creative and better problem solvers when we shift our focus away from the situation we are trying to address.

5.  Stay connected to other people.  It can be isolating being home alone conducting a job search.  If you can still focus well, go to coffee shops or other public places to work on your laptop.  As you set up your calendar, make sure you make social plans throughout the week.  Again, if you have been productive and accomplished what you set out to do for the day, you can give yourself full permission to put the job search aside and enjoy your time with other people.  Being miserable 24×7 does not increase your chance of getting a job. It may feel odd or even irresponsible to be happy and upbeat while you are unemployed, but in reality you will work more productively and creatively when your mood is elevated.  This may be a time to join support networks and connect with others who are conducting a job search or even enlist a coach to help provide accountability and keep you motivated through the process.

BONUS TIP:  How you start your day has a powerful impact on the rest of the day.  If you wake up feeling overwhelmed about your day and spend several hours scrolling social media and eating donuts, you are likely to feel foggy, unfocused, and discouraged the rest of your day which will negatively impact your productivity. I am a firm believer in creating an intentional morning routine and have created an easy-to-follow guide.

It will show you exactly what to do from the moment the alarm goes off to set yourself up for a great morning and an even better day. You do NOT need to start the day feeling overwhelmed.

Click the link below for this guide and it will be delivered right to your inbox.

Now, choose at least 1 tip from above and implement it right away, adding on others as you feel able. Get ready to thrive during this phase of life.