Tan: Clinical psychologist and licensed psychologist, Student Counseling Room, Health Support Center
When you are job hunting, it can sometimes be hard to see yourself, and your self-evaluation can go up or down depending on the outcome of your job search. Don't forget to reaffirm your self-worth in other ways. Here are some tips to ease your discomfort and make you feel better:
Don't compare yourself to others
It is very important to avoid comparing yourself to others. Painful feelings such as anxiety, inferiority, and impatience arise from comparing yourself to others. Focus on facing yourself and enjoying your own growth. It may be difficult at first, but growth comes "little by little." Try to be aware of not missing "little" growth. The trick is to set your own goals and clarify what you are going to do.
Use positive language
Do you find your mind filled with words like "I have to" or "I should"? This is when you imagine bad things that might happen and think of ways to avoid them, filling your mind with anxiety. When you feel this way, try to speak to yourself in a positive way. Avoid negative words and self-critical thoughts, and encourage yourself by saying things like "I did a good job today," "I did everything I could," and "I can do it!", and try to look at things from a positive perspective.
Don't be afraid of failure; embrace failure
We're not perfect, and we don't need to be. We all make mistakes. There will be times when you don't like the results of your job search, but it's important to accept that this happens to everyone. Learn from it, focus on what you can do next, and be proactive and not be afraid to try again.
Get support
There are people around you who can support you when you feel anxious. Ask friends, family, or counselors who can give you advice and support to listen. Sharing your worries with them will surely help you. In addition, clinical psychologists are available at Student Counseling Room Health Support Center to provide free consultations to help you resolve your worries. Please make use of this service.
[References]
"Self-Control of Anxiety in 30 Minutes" by Matthew McKay and Troy Dufresne, translated by Masaru Horikoshi and Masami Kashimura (Kongo Publishing, 2017)
