Strategically Virtual: Job Search Burnout and Strategies for Prioritizing Well-Being
by Amanda Bombino and Liana Volpe
Job search is often a stressful and overwhelming process for job seekers. Many who lost their jobs during the course of the pandemic are still hunting for their next opportunity. As the job search goes on, many job seekers may find themselves burnt out after submitting hundreds of applications, especially if there has been little to no response or reward. The constant rejection that comes with the job search can also contribute to this feeling of burnout, particularly if one has been looking for a position for months or even years.
For long-term unemployed job seekers, burnout is often a chronic issue as the cycle of applying for jobs, interviewing, networking, and more can be seemingly never ending. Burnout is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a “state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” Burnout can greatly affect job seekers in their search as burnout often leads to inaction, which in turn can have the effect of prolonging the job search. The emotional and physical symptoms of burnout can act as major impediments to pushing the search forward. In the long term, burnout can cause damaging effects on the mind and body, including but not limited to anxiety disorders, susceptibility to illness, and chronic fatigue. Because physical and emotional burnout can manifest differently depending on the person, it is important to develop self-awareness of symptoms and triggers in order to combat burnout.
Moreover, it must be noted for the public workforce system, workforce professionals and staff can also experience their own burnout, which can have an impact on the quality of work and services they are able to offer. Burnout can manifest in anyone, for a variety of reasons, and is undoubtedly exacerbated in times of stress and difficulty. One major stressor has been the global pandemic, and the way in which it has triggered emotional and physical responses in many trying to balance their personal and professional responsibilities. Therefore, recognizing how burnout shows up in one’s home life, work life, and more, can be a vital first step in proactively addressing it to avoid the longer-term symptoms and impacts.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the following are common causes and symptoms of burnout:
Common Causes of Burnout
> Lack of control
> Extremes of activity
> Lack of social support
> Work-life imbalance
Common Symptoms of Burnout
> Excessive stress
> Fatigue and emotional exhaustion
> Sadness, anger, or irritability
> Alienation from social activities
Based upon the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development’s extensive experience working with job seekers, particularly through the New Start Career Network and the New Jersey Career Network Job Seeker Community, what follows is a series of suggestions for understanding and coping with the emotional and physical toll that burnout can have on job seekers.
Dealing with Burnout: Prioritizing Well-Being
Recognizing your own personal signs of burnout in order to combat them early and effectively.
Burnout can manifest differently in everyone, and it is important to recognize one’s triggers for burnout. Some may experience irritability as an early warning sign, while others may begin to withdraw from friends and family. To determine if you are suffering from burnout, MindTools offers a self-test in order to tell if you are at risk for burnout and to identify your personal triggers for burnout. Recording one’s personal signs can help in the future to take early action against the next bout of burnout.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with exercise and a proper diet.
Research has largely noted the connection between physical activity and mental health, as well as the positive impacts that proper diet and exercise have on one’s well-being. In preventing or recovering from burnout, diet and exercise can help heal one’s body and mind from the stresses of the job search. There are many ways to get a head start on a healthier lifestyle, such as taking a walk, going for a swim, or contacting a friend to exercise together in person or through a video platform like FaceTime or Zoom. For those looking to adapt to a healthier lifestyle, apps such as FitOn and Sworkit may help in beginning that journey.
Channeling mental peace with meditation and mindfulness.
Burnout can cause a cycle of anxious thoughts and mental fatigue that can be hard to combat. Practicing meditation and mindfulness can help ease the situation and rejuvenate one’s mindset in order to manage and continue the search for reemployment. Mobile apps such as Mind Ease and Headspace are great ways to start practicing meditation and mindfulness. For more information about virtual meditation and mindfulness services, check out this Strategically Virtual blog post about virtual wellness.
Reaching out to loved ones for support.
Social support is key to burnout recovery, and it may be helpful to lean onto others who may be undergoing or have undergone the same struggle as you. When reflecting on lessons from the pandemic, much of the experience has shown that geography doesn’t matter and there are many ways to connect virtually. Cell phones have been a central tool for communication throughout the pandemic, and apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp have allowed people to connect virtually through other devices as well. Using these virtual tools is an easy first step to reach out for support.
Participating in self-care activities on a regular basis to practice balance.
Work-life imbalance is a common cause of burnout, as prioritizing career over other aspects of one’s life can bring about overwhelming stress and anxiety. The job search is no different, and balance is required in order to limit burnout. Regularly scheduling self-care activities, such as watching a movie or journaling, can help create balance and establish value in one’s life away from the job search. To learn more about the scientific benefits of self-care and how to incorporate it into your life, watch this TEDx Talk, Retrain Your Brain with Self-Care, by Dima Abou Chaaban.
Conclusion
The job search is a tense time for those seeking employment — the constant rejection, seemingly never-ending tasks, and intense desire for a job can translate into physical and emotional burnout for job seekers. It is important for job seekers to recognize burnout and take the steps to combat it, especially if recognized in its beginning stages. For job seekers already experiencing burnout, there are several ways to recover so that the long-term effects of burnout, such as chronic health issues, do not develop. Moreover, for workforce development professionals working directly with job seekers and experiencing burnout themselves, it is critical to recognize burnout and proactively take steps to address it.
Virtual tools and technology have paved the way for individuals to care for themselves holistically through mobile apps and websites, with several of these services listed above. However, it must be noted that many of these supports are easier said than done, and job seekers and workforce professionals should be patient and compassionate toward themselves when trying to deal with and recover from burnout, particularly burnout from the job search.
Amanda Bombino is a research intern and Liana Volpe is a Research Project Coordinator at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.
In the Suddenly Virtual series, the Heldrich Center examined how the public workforce system had adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing case management, training, and job search services in an online environment. The Strategically Virtual series builds on this work, outlining how the public workforce system can use technology and community partnerships more effectively to expand services, address job seeker mental and emotional well-being, and ensure that a broader range of the public is able to access supports during a time of social distancing and massive job loss. The Strategically Virtual series is producing issue briefs, Medium blog posts, practical guides, and more. View all of the Strategically Virtual blog posts.
