Online Discussion Forum Recap
By Aisha Conner-Gaten
Is there truly anything more stressful than working a full time job while trying to apply to another full time job? It all starts with an endless parade of cover letters, resumes, and curricula vitae only to be followed by high anxiety phone, Skype, and in person interviews. These processes can take a long time. During that period, it can be difficult to stay positive about our future and feel accomplished while we wait to hear back. All of this, the mental, emotional, and physical states while you wait, can be folded into what we call self-care. According to the University of Kentucky site, self-care is any intentional action that you take to care for your physical, mental, and emotional health. Very often this includes things that you would never consider part of healing. In our March live chat, we divided many of these actions into two categories: things that you can do to sustain or improve your mind and those actions that can improve or sustain your body. Of course, many actions, like yoga, technically affect both. Also, an important thing to note is that self-care is completely unique to an individual. Do not think that you must do anything based on what others find helpful. You can mix and match any of these actions and build your own plan. These are just ideas to consider as you wait to finally exhale, get that job, and get paid!
Body
Exercise, sleep, and eating are key parts of self-care. Very often, being unemployed can depress you or reset your eating habits (more time to munch or more stress to avoid meals). It is important to eat regularly and not substitute snacks for meals. If you find yourself unable to eat due to depression or just feeling overwhelmed, set a schedule. Use Google calendar or a tasker app to remind you to eat. You need the energy!
The CDC suggests exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, which can affect mood and overall health long term. Exercising can include any number of activities: a simple walk, running on a treadmill, or even dancing to some YouTube videos. Once you have done a bit of working out, sleep might be a good idea. A full night’s rest helps you de-stress, decouple, and think about something other than spell check. Even if you aren’t working, you should go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Once you get that job, your body (and mind!) will thank you for keeping a regular sleep schedule.
Mind
Now that you’ve got your body in check, it’s time to consider the thing that controls it all: your mind. Engage in activities that take your mind off of the waiting and disappointment. Visit an animal shelter or cat café to snuggle someone furry to make you feel better. Try meditation or yoga to relax your mind and soothe your body. For those strapped for cash, meetups (meetup.com, your local library or community center) are usually free and offer low anxiety situations for fun. These opportunities are also a great way to get out of the house for a while and stretch your legs. You might even expand your network or make a new friend!
Other Helpful Hints
- Use Evernote, a spreadsheet, or Google Cal to keep track of documents and application timelines
- Stay up to date on library topics and emerging trends via MOOCS (Coursera, Edx, and OpenCourseWeb) and webinars (Siera Learn, Web Junction)
- Make sure your references can be counted on. Don’t list anyone you don’t trust to share stories of the best you
- Tell your current boss you are seeking new employment. Unless you already have a poor relationship, they will appreciate the heads up. When you speak to them, emphasize the benefits of the new job but don’t say how you hate your current job
- Perk up your search by checking out http://opencoverletters.com/
- Don’t take rejection personally. Some positions desire certain skills, personalities, or end the search completely based on budgets. Most of the time, you aren’t told the reasons why
- Check out year round NMRT’s Resume Service if you need help: http://www.ala.org/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm/resreview/resumereview