10 Questions I'm Asking Myself

In the last installment of The Layoff Chronicles, I talked about the importance of protecting your mental health during a prolonged job search. This time, I want to focus on something simpler and more ongoing: checking in with yourself regularly to see how you're actually doing.

This isn't an accountability exercise and it's not about measuring progress. Think of it as a checkpoint. A way to stay grounded and be honest with yourself as you move through a process that can quietly wear you down. We're often diligent about tracking applications, interviews, and requirements for unemployment insurance, but far less intentional about documenting how the search is affecting us.

One quick note before getting into it. I'm not a mental health professional. What follows is meant as a self-awareness exercise, closer to journaling than anything prescriptive.

If you're struggling or feel like things are becoming unmanageable, reaching out to a mental health professional or your primary care physician is an important and worthwhile step.

The Check-In

1. How am I actually feeling today, not how I think I should feel?
2. What emotion has shown up most often this week?
3. What specific moment or interaction has affected my mood the most recently?
4. What boundary has helped protect my mental health the most?
5. How am I talking to myself after rejection or silence?
6. What helps me regain perspective when things feel stuck?
7. Who has been the most grounding presence for me during this layoff?
8. What am I doing consistently to take care of myself?
9. What have I neglected that I know helps me reset?
10. What does "progress" look like for me right now, separate from outcomes?

Think of this as a gentle check-in, not an assessment. A quiet journaling exercise you can return to when the days start to blur together or when the job search feels heavier than usual. There's no right way to answer these questions and no expectation that they lead anywhere immediately. One honest sentence is enough.

I've found that writing things down, even briefly, helps me slow my thinking and notice patterns I'd otherwise miss. Sometimes it surfaces what's weighing on me. Other times it reminds me of what's helping. Either way, it creates a small pause in a process that rarely encourages one. Treat this as a place to be honest with yourself, without judgment or pressure to fix anything right away.