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Job Search Tip | Take a Break to Embrace Your Surroundings

Last week, we proposed the idea of taking the 5, 20, or 60 minutes of free time you have to engage in an activity outside of your job search (or other problem you’ve been trying to solve). After being exploring your sense of hearing and letting yourself be guided by the music, this week we recommend exploring your surroundings in 5, 20, and 60 minutes. Get outside today! 

Observe Your Surroundings

When we simply observe, we can gain startling realizations about the world around us, and discover ways to implement new solutions to the way we’ve been doing things. Observation can be seen as a form of “listening with our eyes”. Everything we see can tell us a story, even if it’s only a small piece. Spend some time observing and pay careful attention to new discoveries! 

If you have 5 minutes…

Go outside and take a look at your immediate surroundings. What do you see? Is the sun rising or setting? Is your neighbor walking his dog, and if so, what is the dog doing- pulling his owner along, examining flowers, making friends? Reflect on any insights you get- for example, if you took note that the dog is particularly jovial, does that mimic your own social behaviors or perhaps serve as a reminder that you’ve been too reclusive lately? Maybe it’s time to make a new friend, examine what’s under the leaf, or let someone else take the lead for a while! Implement one of the changes and see what differences you notice along the way.

If you have 20 minutes…

Engage in the same exercise as above but venture out further than your front door. Take a 20-minute drive or walk. Explore a new neighborhood or take note of the changes that took place in yours. Have new stores or a community center gone up? What new resources might you now have the opportunity to take advantage of? Maybe you’ve wanted to take action with healthier habits and you spot a new gym or farmer’s market that can help you reach your goals.

Not sure how to get started in your exploring and observing your surroundings? Check out our video for some inspiration!

If you have an hour…

Let me guess- our video got you wanting to spend more time in your neighborhood. Devote a full hour to explore every detail you can of a local museum, cafe, or another place that inspires or interests you. People watch. Imagine what type of careers passersby have, what they do in their spare time, and where they get their “spark”. Listen in on a conversation or two- what advice would you give them if you were participating? Be your own mentor by asking yourself, “which pieces of my advice uncannily apply to my own life?” and then follow your recommendations. Also take in the rest of the sights and sounds- what colors excite you, what sounds are most relaxing and grounding to you. What does the place you picked tell you about where you want to be?

A special "thank you" to Jake Chatt and Tara Mokhtari for their pre-production assistance, and to Associate Video Producer Katherine Rodriguez for her talents in crafting the video.  


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By Victoria Crispo

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