Job/client applications expectations and planning out days around anxiety

[SeekingAfrica]

I was wondering how are any of you dealing with job applications and interviews and so on? I work for myself, but that means part of my job description is always looking for new clients and projects.

Now, the last year was rough on my mental state and I let myself rely on clients I already had, mostly. That has led me to a lot of issues when one payment is a day or 2-or 5- late, and then I'm late on paying bills. So I need to get back in the game. This week after sending the last work I had, and while waiting for the next work "batch" of files to arrive, I need to find more work.

But I am finding myself so shaky and uncertain in myself, like I have forgotten how to do this, and I am back to square one. I spend only an hour browsing projects and applying for some, and I already feel sweaty and shaky and defeated, uncertain anyone will answer me at all or think I am a good fit. ...How am I supposed to do this for 8 hours a day? Or am I supposed to do it scheduled for few hours in the day and the rest of the time work on my skills or creating some product or something? Seriously, this is exhausting, and even though I do have some work and so far I'm paying my bills, there hasn't been one month last year that I had enough to feel comfortable. And I had ben doing so well for 5 years before that, but now I feel like I have never done this and I have achieved nothing. One hour and 7 applications and I feel nauseous with anxiety....Anyone that can relate? Or have any tips?

 

[Muted]

I can relate. I need to get a job and have been considering going out of state, because there aren’t very many jobs here.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

I can relate. I need to get a job and have been considering going out of state, because there aren’t ve...

Do you have many ties in the state you're in? Friends, family? If it's not completely uprooting you from your home, and if you can find better job, I would consider it. My job is with clients all over the world, which means there are millions of projects and jobs...but it also means that much more competition...

I feel like I'll lose my mind if I do this 8h a day...how do you plan looking for a job for yourself?

 

[Muted]

I would travel back and forth, if they would let me do 4 tens. I don’t know what else to do, we need my income. It would be a contract for a year at most and get us by.

8h or 10h is a lot and I don’t know how I will manage that much, but I will have to get through it somehow. I don’t have a job right now at all and I have applied for some around here and haven’t even gotten interviews.