Looking for a Job? Make Sure You Take a Walk to Clear Your Head During the Process

When looking for a full-time job while unemployed, most people have a fairly hefty, but common, checklist. This list generally carries all the usual suspects and "to do's" on it, such as: make phone calls and send out emails to network contacts; begin posting resumes online; search the job listings for keyword searches, and job titles; peruse the want ads, both on and offline; prep the home office with all the necessities, like paper and ink for the printer, a clean, uncluttered office space, and so on. There are many more items on this list to be sure, and some will vary from person to person. However, I'll wager a day's pay (that's currently nothing, folks) that most people do not have a certain step anywhere near the top of the list, if at all: and that step would be walking.

No, I'm not pandering a new type of exercise program, or trying to formulate a new synergy plan that involves "the power of walk" in accordance to landing that special job offer. I am speaking of a Zen-like process however, that I feel is extremely vital for every job search, and will result in a renewed and invigorated self when the inevitable job slump and rejections get you down. This step is simply getting your butt up and out the door, everyday, to take a walk - and the benefits are astounding.

Let's start first with the pragmatic. Yes, plain and simple, it's healthy exercise. So many doctors, billboards, and buses these days are touting the well-established idea that, shocker of shockers, walking is good for you, and you should do it at least three times a week. But if you're like me, and you're currently unemployed, guess what? You have a whole lotta nothing on your hands, and friend, you have no excuse not to be walking every day. Your lungs will thank you, your heart will thank you, your doctor will thank you, and that waist will thank you. That's a lot of thanks to receive for little effort.