In today’s labor market, it can be tough for job seekers to stay positive.

Laid-off workers are struggling to land new roles, and long-term unemployment is rising: the number of Americans who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more has risen to nearly 2 million, an increase of 385,000 since last August, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jen DeLorenzo, a career coach and founder of professional coaching business The Career Raven, says that several of her clients are feeling demoralized due to long job searches.

“Folks who are used to getting a job within 1 to 2 months are now waiting 6 months to over a year just to get a handful of interviews,” she says.

According to DeLorenzo, burnout tends to creep in during those prolonged periods of job searching: “You start to ask, why is it taking so long? What’s wrong with me?”

DeLorenzo herself has been laid off four times in her career, so she’s well aware that unemployment can take a major toll on mental health.

“A lot of us tie our worth to our productivity, our job title and what we do, so when you do get laid off, or you’re just job searching in general, you lose a sense of your identity,” she says.

For job seekers who are feeling overwhelmed, these are DeLorenzo’s best tips to beat job search burnout.

Take a break from your inbox

DeLorenzo understands the temptation to open your email first thing in the morning, but she warns that doing so can cause unnecessary stress: “It’s like, do I have an interview or do I have like 8 million rejections?”

She encourages her clients to wake up and “take a breath” before immediately scanning their inboxes.

“Ask yourself, what’s my headspace like right now? Can I handle rejection if I open my email while I’m still in bed, or should I go do other things?” she says.

Many job seekers feel pressure to reply to any messages immediately, but in DeLorenzo’s view, “that’s an unrealistic expectation.”

“If someone sent a request for an interview, even if you’re a couple hours late, it’s not that big of a deal,” she says. “You have to make sure you’re taking care of your mental space.”

Taking a break from the job search is okay, DeLorenzo says.

“There’s this pressure to doom-scroll and search the job boards all day because you don’t want to miss an opportunity,” she says. “That isn’t sustainable.”

Apply in ‘focused batches’

DeLorenzo was dismayed when one of her clients said that she was applying to upwards of 50 roles each week.

“I’m like, where are you finding these? You’re just kind of like spraying and praying at this point,” she says. “It’s just not a good strategy.”

Firstly, DeLorenzo says, it’s crucial to “figure out exactly what you want to do” before diving into applications.

Some job seekers end up mass-applying to random roles out of desperation, but limiting your scope to jobs in your target field will help with focus and productivity, she says.

She doesn’t advise tailoring your resume to fit each job: “You’re going to drive yourself insane.”

Once you’ve narrowed down your area of focus, DeLorenzo recommends applying to jobs in “focused batches” during 1 to 2 hour windows throughout the day.

After that, “go for a run, go for a walk, or read a book,” she says. Making time for activities that give you “glimmers of joy” will help reduce your mental load.

“Whatever outlet works for you, make sure to add that to your to-do list,” DeLorenzo says.

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