Once upon a time, there was a village of job hunters. They lived in a small valley surrounded by large, craggy mountains. Although they were located far from any city, the hunters often traversed here and there, visiting new lands and attempting the art of conversation. On very rare occasions, one lucky job hunter would be hired and would either begin work in the village, work remotely from the village, or would move away entirely.
The village was a wearying place to live, despite its beauty. There, the sun shone brighter than it did anywhere else in the world. Multiple waterfalls pounded uproariously against giant granite boulders, day in and day out. The air actually tasted sour from the emissions of parasol factories that ruled the economic market, as necessitated by the harsh sunlight. Basically, the job hunters of this little village did not sleep.
Of course, productivity was low. Everything took an unusually long time to accomplish. Appetites were funky, ranging from munchies to nausea. The job hunters rarely looked into one another’s weary faces, since they didn’t have the energy to maintain focus. Due to lack of sleep, everyone was worn out and discouraged, nearly all of the time.
One scorching afternoon, a wizard and a fairy descended from the skies in a luminous turquoise hot air balloon. They alighted with confidence, and in one mighty swoop of their wands, transformed the village entire. Suddenly, there were soft clouds and tall leafy trees filtering the sunlight. The waterfalls whispered into cushions of olive green moss. The air lacked flavor completely, which was a refreshing thing indeed. In place of the sooty parasol factory sprawled a pure botanical garden. And for the first time ever, the job hunters experienced a good night’s sleep.
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When you are a job hunter, sleep can be the hardest thing to come by. It can be an endangered species of sorts. Job hunters in general get less sleep than they should, but knowing why sleep is so important might call for some real habit transformation. Lack of sleep slows down the digestion, clouds the brain, and fouls the skin. A person who is sleep deprived might even enter a second-wind plateau of high level energy—speedy and intense—followed by a crash similar to the post-sugar lows. Dani Blum of the New York Times shares from her research that: “Extreme sleep deprivation—being awake for 24 hours or more—can make people behave as if they are intoxicated…” (2024). Such frenzied and unreliable mannerisms might very well cause a person to lose trust in themself. They might commit more errors, be less precise, feel more shame, and find that they are lacking the natural creative spark that drives them to come up with all the best job search strategies.
While many job hunters sleep less than is healthy, others slumber too much. It’s interesting that a person could actually get too much sleep. Studies reveal that job hunters tend to suffer from poor sleep quality, whether too much or too little, according to Beth Ellwood in her PsyPost article. If someone feels that they are constantly craving sleep, even though they sleep at least 6-8 hours every night, they might not be sleeping deeply enough. People diagnosed with sleep apnea are well aware that due to lack of breathing during moments in their sleep cycle, they do not fully enter REM mode, and therefore feel exhausted for much of their waking hours. They are haunted by the overwhelming sense that they did not sleep well enough, and therefore might try to pursue sleep at the most inopportune times. The exhaustion that ensues can negatively affect their executive functioning.
Environment is a key component to creating the optimal potential for good quality sleep. You might live in a big city of party-goers, a countryside with exuberant roosters, or a suburban district with early-morning leaf blowing. Whatever the case, you don’t always have control of the sounds that take place around you. Try blocking out unwanted external noises with some good old-fashioned ear plugs. Or perhaps you wish to enhance your atmosphere and hear a little something pleasant. Tune in to some mellow ambience, such as these Deep Sleep Sounds, for a nice dose of soothing grace. You’ll probably be too passed out to even thank yourself.
Another way to maintain a hygienic and prosperous sleep pattern is to minimize screen time, particularly during the last 2 hours before you head to bed. Researchers at Harvard Medical School note in their article, “Blue light has a dark side”, that: “At night, light throws the body’s biological clock—the circadian rhythm—out of whack” (2020). When the body and mind are stimulated, sleep is a distant prospect. Be mindful of the extent of time, the frequency, and the time of day you engage with the blue light of your screens. You might experiment with black-out curtains for your sleeping chamber, or don a simple sleep mask to create soothing darkness for your eyelids. Night time for sleep can be emulated. You have the power.
Hydration is also a key sleep facilitator. It is recommended that you hydrate, even when you’re not thirsty. Drip Drop Hydration note in their health blog, “Does Drinking Water Help You Sleep?” that sleep deprivation can actually be linked to dehydration. There are some heavy-duty heat waves floating across California this week, accompanied by cautionary tips from law enforcement and health care workers alike. It is highly recommended that during these hot doldrums, water is consumed via small consistent sips throughout the day. Limit or completely avoid caffeine and alcohol for best water absorption. Additionally, support your healthiest sleep habits by maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in ample exercise, and avoiding sugar and salt before bedtime.
Do you ever find yourself worrying about not working, worrying about personal communications, worrying about finances, or worrying about worrying? Such negative energy eats away at the natural resting rhythm of a person’s nervous system. If not managed and neutralized, worry evolves into anxiety. Healthline writes about the terrible potential for anxiety to spur insomnia. In their recent article, “What Is the Link Between Anxiety and Insomnia?” both disruptive symptoms are defined, and ideas for improving quality of sleep are kindly offered. If you are feeling deep sensations of worry, and are not sure from whence these sensations originate, try making peace with your friends and family. Make peace with your pet and your plants. Most importantly, attain peace within yourself.
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Back to the Village of Job Hunters…
After the magnificent transformation, sleep became a norm for the village of job hunters. Nothing was ever the same again (in a good way). Productivity soared, relationships flourished, and smiles were a constant. Employment increased and dozens of job hunters every day scored awesome dream-jobs. Finally, there was sleep for the job hunter.
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