One of the biggest challenges job seekers face is how to stay motivated during an active search for work. The answer lies in how you take care of yourself during what can be a stressful time. I’ve spoken with thousands of job seekers and listened to panel discussions made up of job seekers who landed jobs. Do you know what the overriding theme was for them? Maintaining self-confidence through effective self-care.

It is so difficult when faced with all the rejection to feel confident. However, there are some things that you can do to offset these feelings.

How to Take Care of Yourself

These are the simple, basic rules we learned as children.

1. Eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep
2. Indulge in something that brings you joy… regularly
3. Volunteer. Find something you enjoy doing and give back
4. Invest time in learning something new
5. Surround yourself with supportive people
6. Ask for help when you need it

When you take care of yourself, you’ll be in a better mental state. This will surely impact your self-confidence and motivation.

Don’t Job Search Alone

This is my contribution to your list of self-care. Join a job seeker group or find an accountability partner.

You need someone to hold you accountable and provide new ways of troubleshooting situations you’ll come across during your job search.

Creating Self-Confidence

You’ve read the list and you’re probably thinking, I know this already. But are you actually DOING any or all of these things? If not, you will want to put each of these things on your to-do list. You may have to actually put time on your calendar to make sure you carve out time to do these important things to take care of yourself during your job search.

Some Benefits

Exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep | Doing any or all of these may help you feel better, allow you to focus better and who knows, you may even shed a few pounds.

Indulge in something that brings you joy | Allowing yourself time to participate in hobbies or activities you enjoy will re-energize you. And you’ll feel better about yourself.

Volunteer | Volunteering is easy, it doesn’t cost anything and gets you out of the house. But be careful not to let it take up all your time. Plus, volunteering allows you to focus on something or someone other than yourself and the problems at hand. Sometimes what you are going through may not seem as bad.

Invest in skill development | Not only will you learn something new, but you’ll also make yourself more marketable. Growing skills also boosts your confidence. Here is a listing of online training resources.

Surround yourself with supportive people | Being around supportive people helps you stay positive. Maybe it’s because their good karma and energy rub off on you.

Ask for help | And finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It doesn’t make you weak or stupid. You may actually get the advice or information you need to turn your job search around.