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- Getting through a long job searchA long search wears most people down, and that's not a personal failing. Give your days structure, set targets for effort rather than offers, and get skills and support at the same time.
- Evidence: Strong
- Takes: a few hours a week
- After a rejectionRejection stings, but it rarely tells you what you're worth. Talk to yourself like a fair friend, keep the lesson small and specific, and try again.
- Evidence: Some
- Takes: an evening
- Realistic optimismExplain bad events as temporary and specific, expect things can improve, then plan for the obstacles. Positive fantasies alone can backfire.
- Reframing setbacksChange how you read a setback, not just how you react. Look at it from a distance, check the evidence, and ask what you'd tell a friend.
- Self-compassion instead of self-criticismTalk to yourself after a mistake the way you'd talk to a friend. It doesn't make you lazy; in experiments it made people try harder to improve.
- Staying hopeful when things aren't improvingHope is a goal, a few possible routes and the belief that you can take one. Look for a route you haven't tried, explain bad news as specific and temporary, and keep the next step small.
- Evidence: Some
- Takes: 20 minutes, then a few minutes a week
- When plans fall throughLet yourself be disappointed, sort what's still possible from what isn't, and pick a new next step. Moving on to a new goal matters more than letting go of the old one.
- Evidence: Some
- Takes: an hour, spread over a few days