Unfortunately, we’ve all been hearing about layoffs recently, especially in the tech industry. Layoffs are awful, scary, and often not the right move for the long-term wellness of an organization. Yet, they continue to occur, leading to many great employees looking for new jobs. Because of these recent layoffs, we wanted to take some time today to talk about how important it is for job seekers to detach from their search!
Psychological Detachment
We’ve talked about various recovery tactics before and how important psychological detachment is for wellness. As a refresher, when someone psychologically detach from work, for example, they mentally disengage from work-related thoughts. We know that psychological detachment helps people recover and can combat feelings of stress and fatigue.
A lot of research already exists on the importance of detachment for employe well-being. But what about job seekers? We all know that looking for jobs can be really stressful (especially if you are unemployed). And yet, until recently, researchers haven’t focused on the importance of recovery for those looking for jobs. New research finds that psychological detachment from a job search can be very beneficial to job seekers. Importantly, detaching effectively from the job search can lead to feelings of recovery.
Recovery Matters for Job Seekers
Experiencing recovery can feel really great when dealing with stressful situations. Experiencing recovery causes an individual to feel less exhausted and more energetic. So, how does that help job seekers? The new research we keep referencing helps us understand the impact of recovery on those looking for jobs! Basically, when a job seeker feels recovery, they feel more energy toward their job search the next week. Then, with that energy, the put in more effort into the job search. And, that effort leads to more interviews! So, there’s this chain of events that helps those looking for work. If they detach from the search, they feel a sense of recovery, have more energy, put more effort into the search, and land more interviews!
What does this mean for you if you are looking for a job? Take time to recover. Be intentional and make time to disconnect and not think about the fact that you are in the midst of a job search. This research is basically a reminder for you to give yourself permission to take a break. Also note, this is for all job seekers (not just those that are un- or under-employed). No matter why you are looking for new work, please remember to take a break from thinking about it. Revisit our tips for recovery here and disconnect!
