6 ways to manage job search stress - Sterling Career Concepts

6 ways to manage job search stress 6 ways to manage job search stress Todays returning guestauthor is Life and Wellness Coach Sharon Ball for Part II of a two-part series on betterhandling stress in your life: Earlier, we discussed the four types of coping mechanisms to deal with stress, two of which were adapting yourself to the stress and altering the stress and/or situation. But just how do you do that? Today’s post reviews six healthy ways to respond to or manage stress levels: 1. Live a Healthier Lifestyle. Poor health is extremely stressful. The “big three” regarding health iseating healthy, getting enough physical activity, and getting enough sleep. Blood sugar fluctuations from poor eating habits can result in problems like mood swings, fatigue and poor concentration. Too much caffeine can also cause problems with poor concentration, decreased effectiveness as well as sleep disturbances and increased levels of Cortisol in the blood. Excess caffeine and sugar together tend to bounce us up and down as our Cortisol and blood sugar goes up and down. Note that increased Cortisol levels in body increase the tendency to weight gain. Vitamin deficiencies such as inadequate levels of vitamin B12 can result in anxiety issues, forgetfulness, and severe vitamin B12 deficiency can cause physical issues such as numbness and paralysis of extremities. Lack of exercise can result in sluggishness, mood disturbance, decrease cognitive function plus decrease your metab olism so that you gain weight more easily. The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night but usually gets only 6-7 hours. If you are sleep deprived, your body is stressed, your alertness and thinking is impaired, you may be more short-tempered, and the possibility of making mistakes and having an accident is increased. The long-term effects of sleep deprivation include increased possibility of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, temporary or permanent mental impairment, just to name a few. Did you notice that all three lifestyle areas affect your weight? Eating the wrong foods, increased Cortisol from caffeine or stress, lack of exercise and slowed metabolism from lack of exercise, as well as sleep deprivation all contribute to increased weight gain. 2. Limit Stress through Increased Organizational Skills and Better Time Management. Better time management includes controlling procrastination, stop multitasking, learning to delegate, and learning to always be on time. Teaching you how to be better organized and have better time management skills is a topic for another post, but if you sit down and make a list of job search-related stressors, you will see that several fall under the area of organization and time management. 3. Adjust Your Outlook. Have a positive attitude, be grateful for what you have, and give up trying to be in complete control of your world. You can control what you think and do but you cannot control what others think and do. So get rid of the “should” thinking and be more accepting of the way that other people, their thoughts and how they do things. Simplify your life and routines, don’t schedule every minute of your day, slow down and smell the roses more often. Get rid of your perfectionist tendencies. Some things need to be done perfectly and some things just need to be done. And some things don’t need to be done at all. Trade money for time when you can. If you are overwhelmed with both family and career responsibilities, hire someone to clean your house, wash and iron, and anything else that you can move off your TO DO list. 4. Laughter is the Best Stress Buster. See the funny side of the things that stress you out whenever possible. Make yourself a laughter toolbox. Anytime you come across a cartoon or funny story that seems to resonate with you, copy it and put it on a file card for your “laughter toolbox” or glue it into a “laughter toolbox book” that consists of lists of things that make you laugh. You can make a list of movies that make you laugh and buy a copy that is out on DVD so they are always available to you. Collect funny pictures and a list of songs you find amusing. Can’t relax? Sit down with a funny book for 10 minutes and laugh your way into relaxation. Stop at the library every week and pick up a different “coffee table book,” Garfield one week and maybe Calvin and Hobbes the next. 5. Create a Supportive Network Around You. Notice which members of your family, which friends and colleagues are on your wavelength and make you feel good about yourself, and spend some time regularly with them. There isn’t anyone your wavelength? Then do volunteer work at an organization that promotes your values, take a class, get out there in an area where you will meet like-minded people. Consider joining a job search support group. Check your local telephone book and newspaper for a listing of support resources or ask a social worker or psychologist for recommendations. You could also contact community centers, libraries, churches, mosques, synagogues or temples in your area. Or you may want to connect with a life coach to get the support you need. 6. Begin Journaling as a Release. Start a “stress chapter” in your journal or even a separate journal to identify and work through your stress. When something happens that caused you to feel increased stress, get out your journal. Identify what caused your stress. What was the situation, and what were the thoughts that caused your stress? What were your physical and your emotional feelings related to your stress? What was your initial reaction to the stress? What did you do to make yourself feel better? Was your initial reaction appropriate? Did the coping mechanism you used make you feel better in the short term? Did the coping mechanism you used make you feel better in the long term? What might you have done differently? Can you find anything amusing about your stressful situation? Often we are stressed by the uncertainty of life in general. If we have a generally optimistic outlook and assume that we can cope with anything life throws at us, we can live with the uncertainly without letting it stress us out. Dwelling on all the things that could go wrong isn’t going to prevent things from going wrong. Sometimes just identifying your worst-case scenario and realizing you would survive it can reduce stress. Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored, and by taking control of your stress you can do just that. If you have any questions that I can help you with, you can contact me at Sharon@reinventingyourselftoday.com. ©2011 Sharon Ball, Life and Wellness Coach. Get your free report: Begin Reinventing Yourself Today at: http://www.reinventingyourselftoday.com.