5 Steps to Staying Mentally Tough During The Job Hunt

It's true what they say - the way to a healthy mind is through healthy body. And it's one of the most important steps in a job hunt. Why? Because whether or not your are looking by choice or by necessity, those little doubts about your skills and experience creep in to sabotage your self-esteem, so blast them out of your mind through exercise and good nutrition. Here are 5 steps to help you do this, even if "good eating habits" and "exercise routine" are foreign words to you :)

1. Raid the refrigerator! No, this doesn't mean to go into the fridge and pig out. Quite the contrary. Look in your fridge and your pantry, and specifically look at the labels on the food. Are you feeding your brain or feeding your unemployment depressions? The American Heart Association has a great PDF called How Do I Read Food Labels.My son, Kas, reminds me to check for High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sugar. Skip anything with HFCS and if sugar is in the top 5 ingredients, don't eat it!

2. Keep a routine. Just because you don't have to get up at a certain time for that morning commute doesn't mean you should sleep in everyday. My maternal grandfather almost reached 100 years of age - he prescribe to 2 rules: "Everything in moderation" (that's from his Quaker heritage) and, "You have to have a reason to get up in the morning." Besides, a good night's sleep is part of a healthy brain diet.

3. Treat your job hunt like a job. Set a schedule, plan out your tasks, and stick to it. When the work day is done, move on to your family, friends, laundry, cheap RedBox movies or Hulu, and call it a day.

4. Reconnect with people, places and things that inspire you. For me, it's writings by the Dalai Lama and podcasts by Jill Geissler of the The Poynter Institute. Embrace all things that inspire and keep the momentum going even after you get that dream job.

5. Get moving. This may be tricky if you're used to leading a sedentary life. But there's hope! Try the 30 or 40 minute walking podcasts from Prevention magazine. If you a bit more adventurous and want to work your way up to a 5k, I would recommend Robert Ullrey's Couch To 5k 9-week podcast program. And for you fitness buffs who just want some music to keep you going on those long workouts or training runs, try Motion Traxx for some really fun music to pump you up and keep you going!

Ok, if truth be told, I just did one of Robert Ullrey's running training podcasts and am really sweaty, so going to go take a shower, get some rice noodles and beef (good post-workout food), a big glass of lemon water, and watch "The Dresden Files" on Hulu.

Peace,

Shelly