Job hunting - how to get through the day

Hope and fear and despair. Despair, fear and hope: these wild swings of emotion are the job hunter’s lot. 

The perfect job ad makes hope spring, then seconds later hope disappears as an account arrives to remind you of how much you owe and the bank statement arrives to inform you of how little is coming in! Then to make matters worse, despair sets in as you are turned down for that job you were sure you had. Never mind the chilling 3am despair when the world seems to narrow down to that one desperate feeling of not having a job.

As a freelancer I am constantly in job-hunting mode, with hope, fear and despair cycling through my days. But I have learned that all that emotion is not useful and for my own sanity, have learnt some tricks over time. 

These may help you

1. First - have a routine. Try to start the day with a professional attitude. Get showered, dressed and groomed. Start working at job-hunting as though it were your job. (It actually is your job right now!) Have a list of job-hunting things to do every day. 
2. If you are reading this you are on the internet, so peruse the job sites. I have found www.careerjunction.co.za to be good as well as www.indeed.co.za (which sends daily updates according to your search criteria if you subscribe).
3. Polish your CV and Resumé.
4. Correspond with people.
5. Phone people.
6. Make appointments.
7. Answer job ads.
8. Make a list of things to do tomorrow.
9. Once you have done this, have something else to do and switch off from the job hunt. Whatever makes you feel good – exercise, visiting, volunteer work, creative activities, housework, but do something. (see While you wait: Just do it.) 
10. When the job hunt ‘fear demon’ creeps up on you, tell it firmly that you have done what you can do for that day and it must wait for tomorrow.