When you are unemployed, it is tempting to sleep until 10:00 am (or later) and lounge around a good part of the day watching daytime television between job applications. After all, job hunting is exhausting and draining.

Yes, it is, but that is not a good idea.

Unemployed people still need a sense of routine in their lives. A person without a routine is in for a rude awakening once they do land a job and have to adjust to having one.

If you are without a job, how do you create a routine that keeps you grounded during your job search? Your idea of a routine may be different from mine, and your mileage may vary.

1. Get up at the same time every day, including weekends. (And by this, I don’t mean 10:00 am or later. I mean a time when people with jobs get up.) You did this when you were working, so don’t stop now. You will need this consistency when you have a job again.

• Sit down in front of the computer and begin the job hunt at the same time every day. This ensures that the job search actually gets done.

• Set a goal of how many jobs to which to apply each day. Maybe you can only apply to one per day without going insane. If that’s the case, then make one job your goal for the day. There will be days when you don’t find anything for which you qualify. If that happens, just walk away from the computer, have a good cry, and know that you have tried your best. (However, don’t give up until you have been looking for at least a few hours.)

• You need not eat lunch and/or dinner at the same time every day, but please put some food in your system during days when you job hunt. (I understand that, with many people out of work and SNAP running out of money, you may not be able to eat lunch and/or dinner. If that is your case, please reach out to your local food bank or church.)

• Remember: It’s okay to have a good cry once in a while.

In a nutshell, what routine keeps you grounded during your job search?