This is week 4 of our maintaining a positive attitude throughout the job search series. I hope you have practiced the 3 strategies:
- Telling yourself that “you are excited” instead of anxious.
- Asking yourself if the negative thought is useful.
- Creating a list of distractions that work for you.
Strategy 4: Tame your Mind
Spend some time each day in quiet meditation. Most of you have probably already heard that meditation is good for you. The infographic below by Giovanni Dienstmann summarizes all the benefits that meditation provides.
Often, people tell me that they don’t know how to meditate. It can be very simple. There are many meditation apps you can download from the app store. Carolyn Abate summarizes the Best Meditation Apps of 2017 in this blog.
I found the advice from the Tibetan Buddhist Mingyur Rinpoche very helpful. He explains a very simple breathing technique that can help you meditate and clear your mind, anywhere anytime. Simply calm your mind by focusing on your breathing or a simple mantra. Watch him explain this in this short video.
I started meditating a few years ago. I have found that even just a few minutes at different times can be extremely helpful, it has definitely helped my mind relax. I especially found that it helped me at times when my mind was too busy, like when I can’t stop thinking before I go to sleep or if I wake up in the middle of the night and my mind starts going full speed when it should have been sleeping. Mingyur Rinpoche’s above strategy really resonated with me because it is so simple and can be done anywhere. I have used it before stressful meetings, before presentations, and sometimes when I am tired and just need some energy to keep going. I found that focusing on my breathing, even for a few moments has a positive effect.
Practice this breathing technique to relax at home, compose yourself before an interview, or other stressful situations.
You now have 4 strategies to help you maintain a positive attitude, in your job search, and life in general. Try it out and tell us how these techniques have worked for you!
Miki Feldman Simon, Founder & CEO IamBackatWork