A component of yoga is the balance between effort and ease.

Poses should be done with strength, giving your best effort, pushing to your edge. But, and this is the important part, not so much effort that you hold your breath or lose the joy.

Can you relax your shoulders while your legs stay strong? Can you breathe normally while holding a difficult pose? Can you challenge yourself and smile if you don't quite get there?

This applies to regular life too, especially during a job search.

Are you the type of person who concentrates on the effort? You diligently check job boards throughout the day. You customize your resume. You methodically track every application. You treat your job search like a full-time job.

This is me. I push, always trying harder, staying busy, and working more.

During my job search, I was dutifully at my computer from 9 to 5 (or later), scouring the web for leads and applying feverishly. Rarely taking breaks. I was successful, to a point—I got lots of interviews.

I was stressed. I burned out.

Or is your tendency to lean into ease? You go with the flow. You believe that things will work out. You take advantage of not having a job to pursue an interest or mentally regroup.

Maybe you struggle to complete tasks or get motivated. Maybe you're only job searching when you "feel like it." Perhaps you've given up.

On their own, neither is good for your long term health or job prospects.

That's why we need a balance of both.

If you tend to over effort, let yourself take breaks. Get outside. Grab coffee with a friend. Go to a yoga class (or whatever you're into). Give yourself a little ease.

If you're too easygoing, it might be time for some structure. Dedicate time to the job search. Get in a rhythm. Make a consistent effort.

Put in the effort, but balance it with ease.

Check us out at ZenSearch.jobs and share our platform with anyone looking for something new. Together, we can make job searching a little more zen.