Career Change Tips: Practice Gratitude 🙏

It can be hard to feel grateful when rejection emails keep popping up in your inbox or you find yourself waiting weeks to hear back from a prospective employer. While you may not yet have your dream job, being grateful for what you do have can work wonders on sustaining yourself in your job search journey. Whether it’s a supportive loved one, a place to live, time, or the opportunity to pursue what you really want to be doing, take a little time to reflect on what you are grateful for during this time.

If you are unemployed, that's right – you have time! Time to dedicate to your job search process every day: researching jobs, tailoring cover letters and resumes, taking online courses, volunteering for a place you’d like to work, and beefing up your online portfolio, website, and/or blog. You have time to earn some part-time income on the side while you go after your dream job. Is there a way you could use your experience and skills from your previous career role to earn part-time income?

You could also think about being grateful for what you don’t have – a job you dislike, a long commute, a stressful work environment, or no time to cook healthy meals or exercise. It’s all about perspective. This won’t last forever, and when you do get a job, you might miss some of the things you have now.

If you do have a job, but are working on transitioning to another, time may be something you seem to have less of at the moment, but that doesn't mean you can't take small steps to get where you need to be.

3 ways to incorporate practicing more gratitude in your daily life:

• 🌞 Add it to your morning ritual, whether that's in the form of journaling, movement, or after you take your first sip of coffee. Even if it's just ten seconds out of the day, take a moment to reflect on something that you're grateful for.

• 💌 Reach out to someone you are thankful for and let them know. It could be a friend, family member, colleague, or loved one. Send them a text, write a short email, or take out a pen and paper and write a note or mail a letter or card – just because.

• 🌱 Get your nature on. Even if you don't have easy access to the great outdoors, take a minute to appreciate the clouds, trees, sunlight, or the sunset. Buy some plants and fill your living space with a bit of green. Even better - get out for a walk every now and then. The fresh air and movement works wonders for changing my headspace when I'm feeling in a bit of a funk.

It can be stressful when you are in the midst of working toward changing careers, and taking time to be grateful for what you do have – rather than what you don't – can help you on your journey. It definitely helped me on mine. :)

What are some of your favorite ways to practice gratitude?

I'm Ruanna, a content creator and digital marketer for TomTom Developers, and a freelance writer. Feel free to connect with me here on Dev.to and on Twitter!