Tips for when you’re new to the world and times are tough

The month I graduated from university I moved to the Big Apple for what I thought was a unicorn job, but was promptly laid off and found myself stranded in a new city with no job, few friends, and an expensive apartment in Bushwick of all places that I did not like. I felt defeated, frustrated, and stupid for moving to a new city so quickly with no backup plan.

So what did I do?

For those of you reading this currently in a funk the way I was, below are my suggestions for handling this time in your life.

Practice positive affirmations and believe in yourself

This is so true — you have to, have to, have to believe in yourself and love who you are in order to succeed. There is only so much validation a person can get from outside — at some point, your “luck in life” is really just dependent on your inner, powerful spirit. You can create a positive affirmation mantra and repeat this at least once per day. “I am loved.” “I am doing fine.” “I am strong.” “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

Get your body moving to calm your negative thoughts

Find a cheap-to-free yoga studio near you — odds are, if you live in a major city, Google will be able to tell you where to go. You can also practice in a park or in your apartment if you have the space. Let your yoga practice — or barre, or pilates, or spin class, or kickboxing — wake up your body, induce endorphin release and calm your inner mind.

Communicate with friends + family

Now is not the time to become a hermit! Remember: your friends and family think about you, believe in you, and want to hear from you. Don’t feel bad venting to them or discussing your uncomfortable feelings or circumstances — you’ll find that your friends and family may be much wiser than you think. 

Go on a cleanse

I did the Master Cleanse! It was difficult, but it filled me with a feeling of accomplishment and I felt totally detoxified afterwards, which enabled me to welcome in new, productive energy. You can also cleanse your apartment or room — I suggest burning palo santo or sage to cleanse your space of negative energy and then scrub and clean like it’s the first day of spring and your parents are coming over for dinner.

Give yourself a break from technology

It is a fact that we’re all staring at our various screens too much. Give your brain a break from all that! Try to use your social media once per day so you can really focus on yourself. Also, stop using your phone after 9 pm for a better night’s sleep. I promise, it helped me tremendously.

Get creative again

Creativity is good for the soul! For me, getting creative sometimes means listening to Enya remixes and writing down absurd fantasy stories in a Hello Kitty journal. But really, your path to creativity is your own, so it’s all good.

Apply to anything and everything

Every new interview is an opportunity to hone your interviewing skills, whether you get the job or not! Plus, the more circulated your resume becomes the better.

Work a job you have no experience in

Working in a space you’re not accustomed to can be an incredibly eye opening experience. Pick up odd jobs or part time work. Work in a restaurant! Work in a bar! Work retail! While I was still searching for full time gigs, I picked up retail jobs— it helped make my ends meet and made me feel more in control of my life.

Grab your current resume and throw it in the bin

Create a brand new resume! Your old resume no longer reflects who you are — even new formatting can be incredibly helpful. A fresh resume will remind you of who you are, what you’ve already accomplished and your potential. Welcome in new energy!

Remain calm

Your life is very far from over — in fact, you’re just beginning to shine!

Originally published at medium.com