Stuck in the Job Search Spiral? Here’s How to Manage Anxiety and Depression
If you’re dealing with anxiety, depression—or both—during your job search, I want you to know: you're not alone.
After over 20 years of coaching thousands of professionals through career transitions, I can tell you this with certainty: the emotional toll of a prolonged job search is very real. So if you’re feeling stuck, hopeless, or overwhelmed, take a breath. You're not broken. You're human.
Let’s talk about how to recognize what you’re feeling, and, more importantly, how to start healing.
Depression Feels Like a Dead End
When my clients are experiencing depression during a job search, they often describe it as a cloud of sadness and helplessness.
You might be thinking:
“There’s no point. No one wants to hire me.”
“What’s the use in applying anymore?”
“I don’t see a way out of this.”
This is what happens when you don’t feel like you have any options. You’re not lazy or unmotivated—you’re mentally exhausted. It’s like being stuck in golden handcuffs: you want to break free, but you don’t see the key.
The solution to depression in the job search?
Knowledge.
When you learn new things—when someone gives you a fresh perspective—you start to see options. You get unstuck. Suddenly, a job search strategy that once felt impossible starts to look doable. That’s the power of learning and perspective.
Anxiety Feels Like Drowning in To-Dos
Now let’s talk about anxiety—because it’s different. If depression feels like a dead end, anxiety feels like a traffic jam in your brain. You’re spinning out, overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks ahead of you.
Sound familiar?
“I need to update my resume, and my LinkedIn, and apply to 30 jobs this week, and prepare for interviews—oh, and network with strangers on top of that???”
With anxiety, the problem isn’t lack of choice—it’s too much noise. You don’t need more options—you need direction.
The solution to anxiety in the job search?
A single, focused path.
That’s why I’m such a believer in structured checklists and guided learning. When someone hands you a simple roadmap and says, “Here’s what you’re doing today,” that anxiety starts to fade. You replace panic with progress.
What If You’re Experiencing Both?
Here’s the kicker: many of the job seekers I coach are battling both depression and anxiety. One day, they feel defeated and stuck. The next, they're on edge and completely overwhelmed. It’s a vicious cycle.
If that’s you—again, you’re not alone.
But you do need help. And that’s okay.
You weren’t meant to do this alone.
That’s exactly why I created Work It DAILY. I knew people needed more than just tips. They needed a place where someone could hand them a flashlight and walk them through the tunnel.
How to Take Your First Step (No, It Doesn’t Involve Sending a Resume)
When you’re feeling low, your brain is screaming for rest and simplicity. So don’t try to “fix everything” in one day.
Start small.
👉 If you’re feeling depressed:
Watch our Break Through Your Job Search Burnout training & complete the workbook. It’s filled with micro-lessons designed to shift your mindset and give you clarity. You can find it inside the FREE Resource Center.
👉 If you’re feeling anxious:
Check out our Job Search Bootcamp. We’ll give you the exact steps to follow so you can stop spinning and start making progress. You can access it in the FREE Resource Center.
👉 If you’re ready to go deeper:
Come inside Work It DAILY. We’ve got a 7-day free trial so you can see what it’s like to have a coach in your corner and a community that gets it.
We’ll help you build a job search strategy that works for you, so you stop spinning your wheels and start feeling in control again.
You Are So Much More Than a Job Title
Let me leave you with this: your current job search doesn’t define your value. It doesn’t reflect your worth. It’s just a moment in time—and it will pass.
I’ve seen people hit rock bottom and come back stronger than ever, simply because they had the courage to ask for support. So if you’re reading this, and you’re nodding along, I want to invite you to take that next step—no pressure, no judgment. Just real help, from people who care.
Come join us inside Work It DAILY. We’re ready when you are.
Go get ‘em!
J.T. O’Donnell
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