Bernie Klos

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 Job  hunting is hard — really hard. And you may want it to just be over. But it’s important to stay grounded throughout the process so you can make  smart decisions along the way. Try these strategies to keep stress at  bay:

• Make an appointment with worry. Instead of letting anxious thoughts (“Are they going to call me back?  “Will I ever find a job I love?”) tug at your attention all day,  schedule an appointment with those heavy thoughts and only visit them  once a day at a designated time. Tell yourself, “Each day at 9 AM I will  give this subject five minutes of my complete focus.” Then, when those  thoughts come to you at other times, as they will, remind yourself that  you’ve got an appointment to think about those things later, and try to  move on.
• Focus on the process, not the outcome. Take the interview. Rather than fixate on whether you’ll get the job or  not, spend time visualizing your best performance. Imagine the way you  want to show up — confident, smiling, prepared. This will clear away  some of the stress and allow you to perform at your best when the moment  arrives.
• Set aside time to think through possible futures. It’s easy to get caught up in the process, but don’t rush into  anything. If you do get an offer, sit with it for at least 24 hours to  give yourself enough space to consider which decision is going to most  fulfill you and your long-term goals.

From Harvard Business review