Being unemployed for more than a few months can cause any job seeker to begin losing faith in their abilities.  And in extreme cases, long-term unemployment can trigger depression and an overwhelming feeling of despair and hopelessness.  Fighting feelings of despair and hopelessness is integral to giving yourself the best chances of ending your spell of unemployment.  But how does one fight the job search blues?  Below are a few suggestions:

1. Put things into perspective.  This is a recession.  Being in a recession means that periods of unemployment will last longer than during boom times.  It is unrealistic to expect that a few months of looking for a job will turn up a hot offer.  While finding a job quickly might happen, it is not likely during a recession.
2. Set realistic and attainable goals.  Saying that you’re going to find a job in 2 months is not a realistic goal during a recession.  But saying that you will send out 20 resumes a month is a realistic and attainable goal.
3. Give yourself a break and reward for accomplishing your goals.  If you did what you said you would do during your job search then take the timed to reward yourself.  Also, don’t work so hard on your job search that you become burnt out.  Take off the weekend and create set hours where you work on your job search and when you take a break.
4. Join a job search support group and if one does not exist then create one of your own. Being with others who are also struggling with a job search will help you understand that you are not alone and will allow you to get the emotional support you need.
5. If you become depressed over your job search, seek therapy.  There are many low-cost and free counseling services in most major cities.