So my job hunt is continuing…and continuing….and continuing. It is an interesting process. You are constantly putting yourself out there, trying to communicate who you are in an effective way and hoping they judge you in the right way.

Today I had a thought that this is somewhat similar to landing in an unfamiliar culture. Especially if you are expecting to be in the culture for a while, you want to understand what’s happening and you want those around you to understand who you are and what you are trying to communicate. If I was being philosophical, I would suggest it all comes down to an innate desire to be accepted by those around us or something…but I’m not (well, not today).

When you’re in this constant state of self-consciousness, it is quite easy to slip into mild anxiety, depression or just withdrawing from the world at large. One suggestion I have to help with this is developing a routine. And not just any routine. One that will benefit you physically and mentally until you get used to your surroundings.

My current routine is more like a checklist. Here are a few bits of it:

Daily:
– Wake Up and Get OUT OF BED (how hard this is depends on my mood)
– Breakfast (hungry stomachs do not help anyone’s mood)
– Exercise – usually at least a 30min walk (helps relieve stress, I listen to music and it keeps you healthy and sharp)
– Apply for at least one job (doing something productive helps boost your belief in yourself. Once I do one, I often get on a roll and end up applying for more).
– Do one bit of housework (this stops it from building up and takes pressure off me from doing absolutely all the housework so I can focus my energy on applying for jobs)

Weekly:
– Catch up with at least 1 friend (as an extrovert if I didn’t do this I would definitely go stir crazy)

There’s probably a few others that I could include, but my point is to have a list of things to achieve each day. Make sure you make your list realistic and even a little less than your potential. This way, if you have a hard day, you can just do the minimum and still feel ok. If you have a great day, then you feel even better.

I realise this post sounds a little moody. Seriously, most days are good 🙂 But it’s nice to have a safety net for the days that aren’t. Having a routine will also keep you in good stead as you go about exploring the new culture you’re in – even helping to avoid or lessen culture shock.

Hope this helps. Feel free to post other suggestions in the comments below.