I am unemployed and depressed, how can I stop depression from affecting my job search?

Maybe you need to deal with your depression first, seek help and some techniques (info, skills,coping mechanisms) that can help you deal with your depression while you search for a job!

Try reaching out for support, either to 7 Cups or to your loved ones. Be kind to yourself, do things that you enjoyed doing before feeling depressed. Also don't forget to go outside.

This is very common, so go easy on yourself. Find some other people in a similar situation (a job club, a friend or two, a MeetUp group, etc) - you can keep each others' spirits up and you'll get extra eyes looking out for suitable jobs. Go for a daily walk or time outside. Keep a journal of what you have achieved, write a list of all your positive qualities, ask your friends & partner to remind you what they like about you. Volunteer: it raises mental health and creates a network for you. Do something you really enjoy not something you "should" do, or something related to the work you're after. (Hopefully that's the same thing!) Hire a career coach, or use support from your old university, the government, unions, charities and so on. Don't rely purely on those job adverts by email websites, that's the least effectie way to find a job. Make sure you're also contacting employers directly, asking your friends and family to ask around for leads, and check-out a book called What Color is Your Parachute. That's book I use with my career coaching clients and its method is the most effective for finding a really great job.

Finding job these days is one of the most difficult task to do but in that process getting depressed is not a solution because it will just affect your job search which is not good because you need a positive mind and patience for job searching and trust me good happens to those who wait. Show patience and don't get depressed.

Focus on what you did that day vs what you did not do. Focus on what you have accomplished in the past vs what you didn't accomplish. Remember the experience that you have. Leave little notes of encouragement to yourself throughout the house. If you get out of bed, that is an accomplishment in itself. If you work on your resume, you did something amazing that day. If you apply to one job, wow! great job! Really celebrate your accomplishments, because it is hard to do anything while depressed, and any little step you take towards your future is worthy of celebratoin. Remember, our depression wants to validate itself so it will look for reasons to bring us down: counter those thoughts with positive thoughts. It is not your fault you have depression, and regardless of why you are unemployed, sometimes unemployment is just unavoidable. This is a beautiful new beginning of your life. You have almost limitless options! The only obstacle is believing in yourself. Take it minute by minute if you have to. Think of things you can do to try to get pumped up before job searches or after a hard day of unemployment. Reward yourself. Love yourself and have patience. Good luck!

This is a very tough and common problem for people with depression. Find a way to get excited about the job search-- it can be very fun. Find a peer to help you with your resume and make an activity out of it. Treat it like an art project (a good resume is a work of art). Help them with theirs in exchange-- it will help make it feel more like a group activity. Draft your 5-10 template cover letters (the ones you will be copy/pasting and slightly revising for every job you apply to). Proof read them and show them to everyone. The first step to feeling good is looking good. Having these essential tools at your disposal will give you a burst of confidence, knowing that you look good on paper and will have already made a good first impression long before walking in for the actual job interview.

Your depression is a result of your worry about your present state- Which is Unemployment. But in truth you should be thinking of your future .( Like what will you be doing with the money u earn etc). This will keep you going. IT will remind you the reason y started it all in first place. :)

Think about your abilities which can get you a job and try to stay positive. This can help you resolve problems.

You must get established in that which is non-changing to deal with that which is changing, through meditation, I would say. Also know deep in your heart that everything which belongs to you will come to you, no matter what you do, right or wrong, and nothing which does not belong to you, will come to you, also no matter what you do. Knowing that, do all the appropriate things, but relax.

Try to think about your life before you job loss. Were you happy and full-blown. Also, aren't seeing things in a different perspective now ?

Try your hardest to keep your head up and don't be so hard on yourself. Being unemployed is one of the toughest things any of us can go through. I know it might not be easy but just try to keep yourself positive. Everything will fall into place and you have to try to look at the brighter side of things.

Recover yourself. Take time for yourself. Do things you like most. And then focus on your job search.

Just listen to the wise words of Dory! "When life gets you down, wanna know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming!" Never give up, and fight through it. It's worth it, I promise.

Always be upbeat and positive despite how you really feel. It will assist of getting you employed, and no one wants to hire someone that sounds depressed.

Depression is a diagnosis and It would be good to address it professionally. There are a lot of reasons for one to get depressed. One might be life style events like jobloss, loss of a loved one , divorce.., etc. It is very difficult to look for work when you are depressed as it affects your daily activities. I would suggest a few counselling sessions with a psychologist and consultation with a psychiatrist. Also certain life style changes like exercising daily, eating dark chocolate to boost serotonin levels, keeping hormones in check (thyroid)and taking care of diet by eating healthily plus practising yoga and meditation helps alleviate depression. Also venting out to a friend and making life style changes will help. Sleeping on time and following a routine schedule plus using affirmations (changing negative statements in to positive ones) will help. Plus boosting your self esteem by having visual boards and writing goals will help. Start slow and gradually increase the job search. pick up an interesting hobby like painting, nature walks, Music, photography, blogging and also exercising and spending more time outdoors( in the sun) helps one alleviate depression. Professional help is mandatory after a proper diagnosis of depression and cognitive behaviour therapy works well

Stay positive! Smile, and remember that there is the perfect position out there for you. Have faith that the right employer will see your resume, and will love your interview. Times may be tough right now, but they will get better in time.

Speaking with a professional to help lower depression would probably be best. I'd say start by working small and working your way up. Look for jobs that are close to you and are not tremendously stress provoking, then once you start to see improvement work on to more demanding jobs that provide to your needs.

Last year I was unemployed and depressed and I made my way out of it by starting to accomplish one thing every day. I didn't always do it alone. I couldn't. And I started with making exercise a priority. It started as easily as going for a walk with someone. And they could be different someones. I also found people who liked running and asked if they would like to go running together. On the work front, I took a non-paid position at a company doing something I was extra interested in. I worked hard, did well there, and it turned into a paid position.

You need to tackle with "UNEMPLOYMENT" and "DEPRESSION" individually. Make two lists. Write down what is the root of the problem. For instance, in the case of depression, list down the triggers. In case of unemployment, note down ANY common threads that you see in rejections. The solutions to the above will come to you through the understanding of the problem itself. Work on that, and eat a cake. :)

Just like the average person would rather approach a smiling person as opposed to one that is frowning, that is how potential employers react to applicants. If your resume, dress, and interview doesn't exude positivity, then potential employers may be turned off by that.

Being depressed will not help you find a job whatsoever. You may want to start focusing on what your real problem is and leave any other thoughts away from your mind. Please remember that your problem is not even how you feel, it is what you are not doing to make it out.

Feeling depressed can make everything feel ten times harder. Finding a job sounds like a big task and that can add to not feeling motivated to do it. It can help to make a list of small tasks you can do toward your goal so it doesn't feel as overwhelming. For example, set a goal one day to find a job posting you like and could apply to. You don't have to apply or call or anything. Just find one. That small step will help you feel accomplished without forcing you to feel overwhelmed by the big task of finding a job.

Try and find a job that interests you. Don't look at it like working your life off, but like it's a life goal.

I would personally suggest really getting into the reasoning behind the depression. Really talk to someone professional who can better understand and help you really figure it out. The way I think about it is this; there's a road leading to this amazingly happy/healthy place (the job), but there's a HUGE wall blocking your path (depression). You thus would need to find the tools and materials to break down the wall, which will help you reach the end. Those tools to break down the wall are things to help you break the depression. Talking to a professional, really looking within yourself to find out where this depression has risen from, really sharing and talking about your problems with peers and family can help as well, and there are so many more!

Get someone you can trust, and ask them to talk to you. Talking may not be easy, but it helped me through my struggles.

I have been in this situation. I make sure that I am taking breaks, doing something for myself and working out. I like to take walks and listen to music. Don't forget the things you enjoy and still take time to do them!

AAhhhh..... something I am struggling with right now. Between my depression and anxiety, it has made a negative impact on my job search. You have to remember, though, the time spent being employed gave you skills to fall back on. Look over your resume. Are things that you could add from past experience? What are things you can excel at? Try to relate it all to the field in which you are looking for work. Even if you had a job as a janitor or fast food worker, you have skills. You had to learn to manage time wisely. You had to interact with all kinds of people. You had to work under pressure. All those are job skills! You could say things like "I relate well to all people" or "I'm a people person". You could add "I work well with little to no supervision" or "I like to take the initiative." You could also look into jobs that may not be your exact field of business that you're in, but by using those skills you might be able to get a foot in the door and a chance to do something different! Take heart. Things may look bleak. But there is a job out there in which you would be a perfect fit for!

by accepting the fact that we are doing whatever we can , being sad about it won't make it any better and we must enjoy our lives even if it have such hard times, it will pass no matter what or how long it takes and we must stay positive

From my experience making small goals for yourself can be useful. Such as..... spend 10 mins looking at job posting. If I still am unable to accomplish that goal I will make it smaller and small until it is manageable.

From personal experience, I have noticed that this can be a common problem. I find that preparing yourself before you spend an hour daily filling application forms out can do a world of good. Keep reminding yourself that you will overcome this dilemma eventually, everyone experiences rejection at some point so it is important to never give up because you will be so much more proud of yourself with the outcome of all your hard work and dedication. Always try and be as positive as possible even though that it can be distressing.