Having a routine is important for so many reasons. A routine can support your mental health. It can help you deal with change. It can also help you create better habits and reduce day to day stress.
I find that it’s helpful to think of your routine like blocks of time with specific purposes. Almost like an hour by hour calendar made just for you and your day. The more your practice sticking to your routine, the more it will become second nature. You’ll start thinking in time blocks and be aware of what needs to come next.
Routine is not for everyone.
But if you’re struggling to stay motivated and don’t know what’s missing… a new routine might be just what you need.
Having a routine to manage stress
Without a routine, it’s likely that you’re always caught out trying to remember what you need to do next. You have no list of priorities. No way of streamlining your to-dos.
Having a daily routine allows your tasks to slot into their place without being forgotten.
A routine can manage the stress of students, job seekers, parents, and working professionals. It allows you to prioritise your tasks and set time aside for everything that’s important to your success.
Supporting mental health
Routines are great for managing your mental health, too. This is because, without one, you’re more likely to put things aside and procrastinate. Falling into this trap, especially as a job seeker, is a quick route to feelings of hopelessness and lack of progress.
When we organise our day and feel more in control of what’s coming up next, we’re less likely to get distracted and fall behind. It also provides us with a tool to actively work towards our goals and reach peak productivity.
Having a job seeker routine
As a job seeker, having a routine can be the difference between getting an interview and having your resume go unread for weeks.
Setting up a daily routine which you can continue to repeat until you land the right job is key.
The specifics will look different for everyone, depending on your goals, industry, and experience.
BUT
Below are a few ideas to include your daily job seeker routine…
- Find and apply for a set number of jobs per day, whatever feels realistic for you
- Work on improving, updating, and perfecting resume
- Write individualised cover letters based on job advertisements you’ve found
- Spend some time on LinkedIn to increase your visibility and networking options
- Develop some of your existing skills or learn new ones through some free videos or online resources
- Write to companies you know are hiring our you’d like to work for and sell yourself to them
- Prepare and practice some answers for standard interview questions
Once you’ve come up with your list, allocate a certain amount of time for each job and set to work creating an itemised plan for the day.
Creating a routine will strengthen your determination, mental capacity, and productivity.
What else should I include in my routine?
In any routine, it’s important to actually schedule time in for yourself too.
Whether it’s a walk, a stretch, yoga class, time with your kids, or playing with your dog. Physically allocating a block of time to a self-care activity each day will not only make you accountable to do it…
But also remind you that there is often more to life than what you are stressing about right now.
What next?
If you think your life could benefit from some routine and structure…
Career coaching might be exactly what you’re after. Book in for a free chat today to find out more.
Don’t wait for the right opportunity. Create it.
Book in for a free 20-minute career strategy session with one of our consultants, so you can start taking action today!
