Let’s face it, job searching can be stressful. Sure, maybe we start out enthusiastic. We update our resume, find some opportunities that look appealing, and are feeling pretty darn positive as we hit ‘send’ and apply for several jobs on LinkedIn or Monster. Masters degree? Check! 1-2 years experience? Check! You’ve got an awesome resume and you know it.

But as a few days go by without hearing a reply, self-doubt starts to creep in. “Did they see my application? Did I do something wrong? Wait, do I have a major typo in there somewhere? Nope. Hmm. Maybe I don’t have enough experience? Or maybe my experience isn’t relevant? Or maybe I’m just not qualified for this job? What if I’m not qualified for any of these jobs?” Cue downward spiral.

If you find yourself starting to go a little nuts while searching for jobs and interviewing, here are 6 critical self-care tips to help keep your cool.

6 Self-Care Tips to Practice While Job Searching

1. Practice Positive Self-Talk

I say ‘practice’ because this doesn’t come easy. When negative or self-defeating thoughts come up, you have to deliberately change your focus to a thought that feels better. Happy endings do not come from unhappy journeys, so start caring about how you feel and deliberately choose to focus on thoughts that make you feel better, even a little bit.

2. Stay (or Get) Organized

Clean your apartment. Pay your bills on time. Take out the trash. Don’t let little administrative things pile up and clutter your already busy mind. Set aside 10 minutes a day to just put things away – it doesn’t have to be perfect. Get an inexpensive organizer and set goals for yourself to accomplish each day, making sure to give yourself credit when you do.

3. Stop Talking About It

You know how when you tell your friends that you’ve applied for this one job that you’re in love with, and then they keep asking you for updates? Meanwhile, you’ve just got another rejection and now you spend 25 minutes rehashing the experience with your friend, and then your mom, and then your other friend? Yeah, that. Stop it. Talking about how things didn’t work out does not benefit you in any way possible.

[RELATED: How to Create a Self Care Routine]

4. Stop Beating Yourself Up

There is nothing worse you can do for your self-esteem and motivation than to berate yourself for something that didn’t go as planned. You get a rejection – alright, fine. Do you know why? Can you find out why? If yes, great. You can take steps to either a) rectify that moving forward or b) accept that this wasn’t the right fit. If you don’t know why and can’t find out, unfortunately, babe, you might not get that desired closure. Do yourself a favor and throw your passion in another direction. It’s not worth your time to try and fit a square peg into a round hole.

5. Stop Trying So Hard

We often live with the notion that anything worth having is difficult to get, but that is one of our generations’ biggest fallacies. If you’re trusting your gut, playing to your strengths and passion, life – your work-life included – really shouldn’t feel like a grind. So relax a little, feel it out, and try just trusting that everything is going to work out exactly as it should.

6. Don’t Deprive Yourself of Fun

We get it, you’re stressed, you’re in-between jobs and cash is tight. Make it an effort to find some low-cost or free activities to do to get your mind off the hunt. Stressing out or focusing on what isn’t working is NOT going to help you. You might have to force yourself to have fun, which yes, sounds counterintuitive, but do it.