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by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.
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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

A Wellness Primer for Wellness-Oriented Job Seekers (Encore)

Monday December 1, 2003

How might a wellness-oriented person deal with a tight job market, with the threat of job loss or with actual unemployment? Go about it the same way he or she would deal with any challenge brought on by unexpected and unwelcome change -- in an adaptive manner that relies upon the disciplines, skills and strengths developed in the course of living a self-managing lifestyle. Let's look at the process of job seeking from this perspective.

These are difficult economic times in general and very difficult times for some, such as all those newly unemployed since the dreadful events of 9/11. In October, nearly half a million jobs were lost, as was the case in November.

Such figures are expected to continue, at least into the near future, as the following U.S. unemployment forecasts suggest. Here are the current and projected unemployment percentages.

Nov 2001 - 4.70
Dec 2001 - 4.95
Jan 2002 - 4.24
Feb 2002 - 5.60
Mar 2002 - 4.86
Apr 2002 - 4.68

The National Bureau of Economic Research just announced that we are officially in a recession, which was not a big surprise, especially for those out of work and seeking same. This recession, of course, did not just arrive -- it began, the Bureau noted, in March. The good news is that we enjoyed ten years of business expansion before the end of the longest business expansion on record, that is, up until March of this year. Thus, there is reason to expect that things will turn again. After all, the stock market is up from the lows near the end of September and the Commerce Department reports durable goods orders posted their biggest gain ever in October -- 12.8 percent. Home sales are still strong (as are prices!) and a widespread sense that a recovery is on the horizon helped 30-year mortgage rates post their biggest one-week gain in three years late last week. Yet, jobless rates continue to rise sharply.

Meanwhile, as was suggested a week or so ago in my piece on Abraham Maslow and the poverty/wellness connection, those seeking work will be faced with another serious challenge -- the added difficulty of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, given the press of more basic concerns. With all this in mind, I thought it might be good to suggest a few basic considerations for wellness-oriented job seekers.

My suggestions are a mix of common sense factors easily overlooked. These tips are closely related to the values associated with a wellness mindset in the job-hunting process. I believe they demonstrate why continuing your wellness lifestyle, even upgrading your commitments to crucial self-management skill areas, is so important. Doing so will promote your prospects for success and prove beneficial during the process of your own economic recovery, starting with the critical interview sessions. Among the key factors to attend in the job-seeking process are the following:

Keep up your appearance (get enough sleep, eat sensibly, exercise vigorously and dress professionally.)
Avoid communicating a posture of defeatism (be upbeat, positive and bright-side oriented.)
Practice emotional intelligence (be enthusiastic, empathetic and courteous.)
Avoid a focus on money issues, inquiring instead about the growth prospects of the organization, employee morale and the company's interest in encouraging healthy employee lifestyles. (Naturally, if a well-paying job comes along at a firm that does not fit any of these criteria, you may want to jump on it, anyway! However, other things being the same, this kind of inquiry will work in your favor in all organizations, even those with little regard for wellness programming.) Convey a sense of strength and capability (make good eye contact, write plainly and neatly on forms, be mature and express goals and purposes clearly.)
Demonstrate sensitivity to the importance of good workplace relationships (inquire about workteams while noting your interest in company activities and events.)
Show that you are an effective communicator (give brief, non-defensive and direct responses to questions.)
Demonstrate that you can adapt to challenges (show compassion if the opportunity to do so arises), that you can deal with and manage stressful situations and that you are decisive.
Give evidence that you are capable of critical thinking (ask about long-term opportunities), that you have high standards of integrity (never be negative about former employers or associates) and can take direction. Don't expect easy successes. Reserve time for personal growth -- think of this period as part sabbatical at the same time that you are searching for something new. Be good to yourself, both in terms of self-talk and grant yourself mini-vacations from the job search itself. After all, you deserve a bit of a break, not to mention time off for continuing education, more family time, introspection and, of course, added efforts to become fitter and escalate the search for more meaning and purpose in life.

I hope some of this is helpful, even if you are not in the ranks of the temporarily unemployed, and that you will realize your goals in the near future. All the best. Be well. (This article was first published December 1, 2001)

Domain: mental
Subdomain: stress management

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