We all know stress is not good for you or anyone else for that matter. But what if you could use it for your benefit? What if stress were your friend? If you could harness the energy that comes from the nervous knot in your stomach, you might be able to use it to your advantage when the competition heats up and you need that extra push towards achieving your goal. It’s not enough to look your best on an interview but being on your toes with a little self-directed stress might just do the trick. When you are fighting your best battle to compete in this job market, using stress may actually help you push towards your goals a bit faster.
Here are a few tips on how to use stress for success:
- Biting Your Nails is a Good Thing? Worry for the sake of worry really is a waste of your time. Whether you bite your nails, pull your hair or have developed any other weird habits, make sure you use your worry in a productive way. Worry can be used to calculate your next move so when you do find yourself worrying, have an end result that is productive other than stubby finger nails.
- Worry ‘Til Your Hair Falls Out Worry can be used to your advantage, but when you worry about what you are not doing right in your job search it could be your instincts at work trying to provide you with valuable information. Sometimes worry is a warning sign to help you watch out for danger and signal when you need to change direction when things are not working out for you. Instead of pulling your hair out, make sure the falling strands are a sign that you might need to change career direction and to learn to trust your instincts. Fight or flight is a real sign that things in your career are not the only things you need to change. Being in touch with yourself and trusting your inner voice to guide you is a good way to keep stress at bay and use it to your advantage.
- Who Needs Sleep Anyway Babies need sleep, people who are recovering from an illness need sleep, but if you find yourself sleeping through your key interview hours, then something else is wrong. Depression is a very real problem when you worry yourself sick over not finding the right job. When you find yourself sleeping too much or maybe not enough use those waking hours to work out your job plan productively and not about why no one wants to hire you. Sleep deprivation can play havoc on your job health and your stress level.
- Binge Your Way Towards Your Next Job Eating, drinking and having a good time is everyone’s best friend, but staying up all night raiding the refrigerator is not going to help you look any better in your interview suit the next morning. Count your job leads instead of counting calories when you reach for the bag of chips. Learn to focus your attention on building your interview list instead of building what’s on your plate. Bad habits are a sign you could be avoiding what’s really bothering you and not dealing directly with the problem. Put the fork down and listen to what your body is trying to tell you and don’t be afraid of the answers you might hear.
- Butterflies Are Everywhere The sound of butterfly’s wings might be soothing but when the flutter is in your stomach, it might feel like you are going to be sick. Following the flight of the butterflies can be fanciful but when you let the flutters distract you from your goal, you are going to need to learn how to fly and fly fast. Know that you are going to have nervous feelings from time to time, but make the most out of this adrenalin rush and use the excess energy to work out a fitness plan not just for your body but for your mind and your job search.
It’s okay to stress out a little as you pursue your career goals, just make sure you get back to center and stop indulging in self-pity and worry for no reason. You won’t get a job offer any quicker if you worry your way to the interview.
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