Improving your health will improve your job search. Energy levels, communication, mental sharpness and other skills are impacted by your health. These skills are critical to a job search. Communication is needed to have a great interview, mental sharpness allows you to search, find, and apply to jobs, and energy… without it we cannot find a job at all.
Here are 5 ways being healthy improves your job search.
1. Eat a Healthy Diet and Maintain it.
If you feel that your body and mind are out of tune while you search for a job this may be a result of a poor diet. Processed foods can contain food additives causing you to feel poor. People who eat natural foods (those not processed) prevent unwanted chemicals from entering their bodies.
Our healthy eating job seeker tip: You should be scheduling time for your job search. Make a healthy snack like ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins) specifically for your job search. The ritual of making a healthy snack before you begin your job search sets the tone that the time you are about to spend is meant for focus and your future. It also provides you with a small energy boost to help you complete your job search, apply, and schedule interviews.
2. Exercise Regularly
80% of Americans do not get the recommended amount of exercise. That is what the CDC says. It’s also shown in previously analyzed death data. In the early 2000’s Harvard Medical School analyzed global death data and uncovered that 5.3 million deaths were attributed to physical inactivity.
Our healthy exercise job seeker tip: You don’t have to head to a gym to get exercise. In fact you may not be able to get to a gym with COVID-19 business closures for health safety. Even small amounts of exercise can drastically improve your job search. The National Institute for Health reports that taking a 20-minute walk a day makes a large difference in our bodies. Walking is an aerobic activity. Get moving, you may even find local jobs on your trip. Oftentimes hiring organizations will post “hiring now” signs outside of their stores.
3. Get Outside
The sun is the closest star to the earth. It is also the primary source of Vitamin D for humans. Job searches are primarily done online. Job searching, networking, and resume writing are all primarily done in front of a computer. This means that you spend a lot of time inside. In fact the EPA says Americans spend 93% of time indoors. The outdoors offers a chance to improve physical and emotional health. Just 10-20 minutes a day of exposure to the sun can provide the recommended amounts of Vitamin D.
Our outdoor job seeker tip: Taking a break during your job search allows you to step away from the screen, grab a drink, and reset. Taking a 10-15 minute break after an application or lengthy search and filter session can increase the quality of your job search. Taking your break outside also adds the benefit of getting your daily dose of Vitamin D. Take a break, get your daily sunlight and be more productive during your job search.
4. Sleep Better
Good sleepers find jobs better than bad sleepers. The sleep that you get is directly related to your productivity the next day. Chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression have all been associated with insufficient sleeping habits. The CDC says that sufficient sleep is increasingly being recognized as an essential aspect of chronic disease prevention and health promotion.
Our sleepy job searcher tip: 7.8 hours of sleep is what the National Institute of Health recommends for adults. They also stress the importance of keeping a consistent sleep schedule. At the end of your day, think about your upcoming job search success. Make your sleeping area as quiet and comfortable as possible. Shut down (or put to sleep) your gadgets and avoid eating a big meal before bedtime. You will wake up feeling excited to find a job.
5. Be Unproductive ( for a little)
The need to find a job or to transition to a new job can be stressful. You will want to constantly be job searching and may even feel lazy or down when not job hunting. Incorporate time for yourself to be unproductive. Just because you are looking for a job does not mean that you can work 24/7 on it. Your body will reject it and you will be less productive and counter your good intentions.
Our break time job seeker tip: Put time aside for a reset and do it everyday. Making a plan to do so will improve the chances you take your break. Your batteries will get a recharge and when you head back into your job search you will be focused and ready to make progress.
The Local Remote Jobs Team