Career transitions, whether chosen or unexpected, can be periods of significant stress and uncertainty.

Mindfulness, a simple yet profound practice of being present and engaged with our current experience, can help us navigate this challenging time, and even help us transform it into a journey of growth and self-discovery.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is more thant just awareness of one’s thoughts and surroundings. It is also “clear comprehension” - the ability to see the present moment through the noise, lenses, and prejudices we may have due to our past life experiences. When we see clearly, we can respond in right measure. We become more resilient in the face of challenge as we see things as they are. Practicing mindfulness can help us cultivate resilience, is not only helpful as we navigage work transitions, but it can help us create life-long habits that lead to thriving in our career and life.

Here are a few practical, science-backed mindfulness practices that can help you during the job search and beyond with some suggestions on how often to practice them. I recommend starting with one practice and once you incorporate it into your routine, layering on the next:

(1) BODY SCANS FOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION

Emotional regulation, recognizing emotions and managing them effectively, is a key aspect of the job search. On average, it takes 4.5 months for a person who is unemployed to find a new job. This length of time can be trying for our mental health as we deal with the highs and lows of the job search on a continual basis.

A recent study found that engaging in body scans—a mindfulness technique where you systematically observe sensations throughout your body—for 30 minutes weekly can significantly improve emotional regulation. From my own experience, practicing body scans regularly heightens our awareness of bodily sensations so effectively that we can detect shifts in our emotions early, allowing us to address them proactively. This ability for us to manage our emotions can help us increase our resilience, and stay focused on the job application process.

• 30-Min Body Scan on Insight Timer

• 40-Min Body Scan: Lying Down, MIT

• 39-Min Escaneo Corporal en Español, UCSD Center for Mindfulness

PS: A tip to help you remember to listen to a body scan, you can listen to it as you go to sleep

(2) Mindful Breathing FOR FOCUS

Looking for a job involves many different tasks - from keeping track of what job you applied to, to keeping tabs on your networking efforts. The ability to concentrate and focus are critical to conducting sustained job search efforts.

Learning to focus your attention on your breathing in the present moment is one of the first exercises we learn in mindfulness training; we practice returning to the breath every time our mind wanders. Recent studies in neuroscience confirm that conscious breathing holds the key to many health and cognitive benefits, amongst these improved concentration.

Practice mindful breathing daily to experience the benefits:

• 5-Min Mindful Breathing, Berkley Greater Good

• 6-Min Breathing Meditation to Cultivate Mindfulness, Mindful.org

(3) SELF=COMPASSION FOR MOTIVATION

Dr. Kristen Neff, one of the main self-compassion researchers says that self-compassion “motivates us to make changes and reach our goals not because we’re inadequate, but because we care and want to be happy. This source of motivation is much more enduring that the short-term push of shaming or criticising ourselves. In fact, research shows that self-compassionate people are more likely to cope with challenges and feel more competent and effective, and are less likely to procrastinate or give up after failing on important tasks.

Practice self-compassion meditation daily for at least 13 minutes at least three to four times per week:

• 13-Min Self-Compassion Break for Shame, Chris Germer

• 15-Min Soften, soothe, allow:  Working with emotions in the body, Kristin Neff

• 18-Min Compassionate Friend, Kristin Neff

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