Handling the stress of job searching during these uncertain times

The world is filled with uncertainty right now. The coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the world, causing stock markets, businesses and other entities to change course day to day and sometimes hour by hour. The situation can cause a lot of stress and anxiety — especially for people looking for a new job.

We’ve discussed mental health in past editions of #GetHired, but we only gave limited attention to mindfulness whenever it popped up during those conversations. As I’ve come to understand it, mindfulness is the practice of living in the moment and worrying less about the past and future. The idea of focusing more on what you can control is obviously an enticing idea in the middle of a job search.

“If you sit back and think about it, the past is over and the future has yet to happen so all that exists is this one moment,” Jeffrey Cohen, who is a clinical psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, told me in an email. “Mindfulness is the practice of becoming present to this one moment and to life itself.” 

Can mindfulness benefit job seekers?

“Mindfulness is a treatment for a range of conditions including anxiety, stress, and chronic pain,” said Cohen. “Research suggests this works by reducing the stress hormone cortisol and increasing neuroplasticity, or adapting the structure and pathways of the brain.”

The practice can help people have an increased awareness of their goals and actions, he said. “Mindfulness can also decrease stress and anxiety by focusing the mind on the present moment rather than worries about the future.”

One study backed by Headspace, which is a popular mindfulness meditation app, found that meditating with the app multiple times each week over two months was tied to better wellbeing and decreased stress among UK employees of Google and Roche. The benefits included reduced anxiety and symptoms of depression. The findings suggested that the benefits may last longer than a couple of months. Also, the benefits appeared to increase with the time people spent meditating. 

Through June 30, Headspace has announced that it’s offering free year-long subscriptions to unemployed and furloughed people in the U.S. You can find details about that program by clicking here.

“As the unemployment levels continued to rise, we felt we needed to offer support somehow,” said Sarah Romotsky, who is director of health partners at Headspace. There is a direct tie between unemployment and job loss to stress and anxiety, she said, adding that these are the areas where science has shown meditation can make a difference.

“It’s not about stopping your thoughts,” Romotsky told me. Instead, she said to think of your thoughts like cars going back and forth on a freeway. “Meditation is training you to sit on the side of the road watching them and understanding them.”

“The point is that with consistent meditation, you’re learning to better react to your emotions instead of being controlled by them.”

Additionally, Romotsky said they’ve seen people have increased resilience and more self-compassion in some of their research. “It’s really easy to get down on yourself when you’ve been laid off … It’s really important to have that self-compassion and know that some things are out of control and to be kind to yourself during that time.”

In addition to Headspace, there are many apps and online mindfulness services available that offer a range of free and paid subscriptions. Some programs are even offered through employers and other types of organizations. Calm, which is another one of the most popular mindfulness apps, was just made available to all members of the Kaiser Permanente health care system, for example.

Columbia’s Cohen suggested the free Mindfulness Coach app, which was created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He also recommended Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book “Wherever You Go, There You Are.”

Mindfulness requires practice

Headspace’s research suggests that people should experience a benefit by using its meditation content for 10 minutes at least three times per week, said Romotsky. In addition to looking for work, she said taking care of your mental health is one of the most important things you can do as a job seeker.

“When I started, I just started with one 10-minute session three times a week,” she said. While negativities didn’t go away, she said she was able to cope with those stressors better.

Mindfulness exists beyond formal meditation, though. “Mindfulness can be practiced anytime and anywhere because it includes focusing on something we are already doing, such as the food we are eating or the emotions we are experiencing,” said Cohen. “Meditation is a formal practice that typically involves setting aside a period of time ranging from just a minute to much longer to do nothing but meditate.”

Regardless of when or where you practice mindfulness, Cohen said it requires commitment. “We can think of mindfulness as a muscle which requires continual exercise and practice,” he said. “It is important not only to set aside time for formal mindfulness practice or meditation, but also to pay attention to what is happening inside of you and outside of you throughout the day. For instance, if you are in the car with the AC on during a hot summer day, you could take time to practice mindfulness just by noticing the feeling of the cool air on your skin.”

Of course, you need to remember that it’s important to seek professional help when necessary. “Mindfulness on its own may help reduce mild levels of stress, however professional treatment is often needed for clinical problems,” said Cohen.

Have you integrated mindfulness into your daily routine? Join the conversation.

? Want even more #GetHired?

I host a weekly discussion about job searching during this difficult time. I go live each Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET from the LinkedIn News page. We’ll discuss important issues affecting job seekers and answer your questions about looking for work. I spoke with Vyten Career Coaching’s Vincent Phamvan on the most recent episode. You can watch it below or by clicking here.

? The follow-up

While businesses are starting to reopen, operations — including their hiring processes — are modified. In the last edition of #GetHired, recruiters said that hiring seems to be picking up steam, but you won’t find them at traditional career fairs. Instead, they’re attending online events to find new talent. Much of the interview process also remains online through video interviews. If in-person meetings occur, social distancing is enforced. The onboarding process for new employees is also virtual, meaning companies are sending laptops and equipment to people’s homes. Here’s what people are saying about the changes.

? Other news to help you #GetHired:

What should you expect as companies start to reopen? Jessica Hartogs, who is my colleague at LinkedIn News, is tracking what companies are doing as they reopen their businesses across the U.S. and world. As you investigate companies to target during your job search, it may be helpful to know what they’re doing to protect their employees and clients during the pandemic. Here’s what’s happening.

Creating healthy or productive habits during a job search is possible. People should consider crafting “microhabits” to work toward a goal, writes Lisa Orbe-Austin, a career expert and psychologist, in The Dynamic Transition. Choose small steps you can commit to on your path to a larger goal instead of overwhelming yourself by taking on too much. She suggests that a person wanting to start a business can set a goal of working on a plan for 30 minutes twice a week, for example. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

Here’s who’s hiring right now. As I’ve said before, we’re doing our best to connect you with companies that are still hiring during these troubled economic times. Part of that effort is a regularly updated list of companies we know to be hiring. Some of those include Amazon, Walmart and CVS Health. Click here to see more.

? Up next:

While some companies hiring frontline workers — like grocery stores and warehouses — are hosting in house events, you likely won’t be attending any large in-person job fairs in the near future. I’ll be taking a look at online job fairs in the next edition of #GetHired. Have you recently participated in an online job fair as a job seeker or recruiter? Let me know what you thought about the experience. Have you thought about attending one? What are your concerns or questions? Tell me in the comments below.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to reach out to me if you have ideas on topics or questions I should address in future editions of #GetHired. You can also email me at GetHired[at]LinkedIn.com.