First week I applied to everything, second week I did nothing, third week I'm trying to find some middle. Right now I'm planning about four focused hours a day and then actually stopping, but I feel guilty every time I close the laptop at 2pm.
What did a sustainable day look like for you?
Two fixed blocks a day worked better for me than one loose 'job search' block. One for applications, one for anything that isn't job hunting. It stopped the spiral where every hour felt like the wrong task.
Not sure if it applies to you, but check whether your old company offers outplacement support or career coaching as part of severance. Mine did and I almost didn't use it. The resume review alone was worth it.
Four focused hours is plenty. What I wish I'd done earlier was message former coworkers in week one instead of week six. Most of my interviews came from people who knew my work, not from job boards.
Sorry you're dealing with this. I was laid off last year and what worked was treating it like a job with hours: mornings for applications and networking, afternoons for one thing I'd actually enjoy, a small project or just a long walk. The guilt eased after about two weeks.
