15, feels like 4
It's 6:30 am and my phone weather app tells me it's "15 degrees, feels like 4" out there. But the sun is shining and my dog is pacing, so we bundle up and go out. There's no other option when you have a dog. We do what's necessary. Returning to our warm home, I settle in with a cup of coffee at the southern facing window. My city view is somewhat gritty and it's full of power lines and dirty snow, but there's a patch of sparkling water at the end of the street.
The world feels unstable and unloving most days to me. I want to say that out loud to anyone who is also feeling that way, but, like me, has the privilege of comfort and care. I know how lucky I am to be housed, employed, healthy, and supported. It is a truly frightening time in our country. I'm reminded of the scariness of the early pandemic when I could not believe what was happening, and I felt uncertain about what's next. There are echoes of that chaos.
If you're in a job search right now, your level of uncertainty is already high. If you've lost your job suddenly, you are likely dealing with grief and anger. There are no easy answers to any of this, and no quick fix I can offer. As a career coach, nonprofit supporter, and a devoted mother, sister, and friend, I'm doing what I can to help clients, the organizations I support, and the people I love. Most days, that's all I can do. I'm showing up and speaking out against injustice, I'm calling my elected officials, and I'm amplifying the voices of the helpers. Giving into despair or acquiescing to authoritarianism are not options.
So, what to do, if you find yourself still thinking about job searching but dealing with all the other horrors of the moment? I'd suggest three things.
1. Take care of yourself, however that looks for you. For me, it's enjoying my water view on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee. Savor the beauty of our world, the blessing of people and pets who share your love, and the good things you have today. Get outside or talk to a friend. Give yourself the grace of a few extra minutes in the morning. If you have health issues of any kind right now, center on healing.
2. Focus on your values in your job search. We are meaning makers as humans, and the more we act in accordance with our values, the more deeply satisfying our lives will be. The social psychologist, author, and professor Adam Galinksy talks about this in his latest book, Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others. You can listen to him in conversation with Dr. Laurie Santos of The Happiness Lab: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/how-to-inspire-the-people-around-you.
What do you value? Learning? Kindness? Honesty? Those are three values I have, so I look for opportunities to work with people who share those values. If you have trouble articulating your values, take a look at The Squiggly Career (book, podcast) by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis. The interactive aspect of this book will help you assess your own values. They also have a video book, if that's more accessible for you. Check them out at https://www.amazingif.com.
3. Understand your strengths and lean into them. I'm a growth mindset advocate so I believe deciding that we're "just not good at something" is unhelpful behavior. That said, in times of great stress (and we're there!), focusing on our strengths can serve us best. We need to feel that we can do some thing when the world is chaotic (also there!), so leaning into your strengths at this particular moment will help. There's evidence that working with our strengths leads to greater job satisfaction. From the VIA Institute on Character: "Workers who use four or more of their signature strengths at work have more positive work experiences and report their work is a calling in their life." To identify your strengths, do some self-assessment. When you've had a great day at work, what have you been doing? Do the online (free) character strengths survey here: https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths-via.
Please be in touch if I can help in any way. Isolating ourselves is not a way forward. Stay connected and stay well.
