7 Health Hacks to Help You Clinch That Dream Job

When you finally get a ‘bite’ on a job application you’re keen to clinch, there are huge benefits to tightening up your health regime on the lead up to interviews — both physically and mentally. These health hacks will get your brain in top gear and your energy levels buzzing so you’re fully prepped for interview days.

1. Limit decision-making

Yes, decision fatigue is a thing, and can make a big difference to your interview performance.

In today’s hasty pace, we make tens of thousands of decisions every day. Decision fatigue can affect brain function resulting in procrastination, muddled thinking, impulsiveness, and overwhelm—none of which are welcome mind-states in a pressured situation.

During an interview, you’ll need to do a bit of deep (but quick) thinking to give engaging responses to the questions you’re asked. If your time before the interview is spent racing from one thing to the next, scrolling on devices, or in situations where you need to make several decisions, it’s going to sap your brainpower.

A few ways you can reduce decision fatigue are:

• Create a plan for interview day, so you’re not having to plan on the run
• Make only the super-important decisions early in the day
• Schedule interviews in the morning, and if you can’t, take frequent breaks leading up to it
• Get clear on the essentials the night before (like location, parking, breakfast, what you’re wearing, etc.)
• Put your phone in another room until just before you head out to the interview location

2. Do away with devices

Make a pledge to yourself that on the day of the interview you’ll minimise time on tech. Being on a device means we’re draining our brains scrolling, reading, skimming, and making a bunch of decisions on what we do and don’t want to engage with, which ties in closely with our previous point on decision fatigue.

3. Go, go, cardio

Elevate your heart rate in the way you most enjoy—be it high or low intensity. Fresh blood through the brain and body does wonders for your mental performance. It flushes toxins, releases nutrients, and oxygenates your vitals. Simple.

4. Do some dedicated daydreaming

That’s right, daydreaming — or ‘positive anticipation’ — is a technique you can use to ‘play out’ the interview so the ideal outcome is imprinted firmly in your mind. Do this just before sleep, as studies have proven it can also lull you into a more restful one.

5. Get your kip on

This might seem obvious, but if you factor in all the points we’ve mentioned here, it will set you up for sleeping success on the night before your interview. There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night thinking about it, so putting these methods into action is a great way to get the most out of your slumbering hours.

Additionally, consider:

• Reducing caffeine intake the day before, even by a small amount
• Having at least two alcohol-free nights leading up to the interview
• Not drinking water or liquids for 3 hours prior to sleep to prevent midnight bathroom visits
• Limiting sugary, highly processed carbs the day before, which can over-stimulate the nervous system

6. Fuel up for the long game

We all know the benefits that feeding your brain with nutrient-dense food brings, but for an interview, there are specific foods that will activate (and sustain) your grey matter vastly more than others.

Curb the carbs

As much as it’s tempting to want a comfort hit of processed carbs or sugary food before a nerve-inducing event like this, you’re better off waiting until after the interview. It will help you avoid the sugar high and consequent crash, which can affect your focus and energy levels enough to limit your performance. Instead, go for complex carbs like sweet potato, fresh berries, bananas, or any grains which are as whole and unprocessed as possible. These foods have a slower release and won’t cause the dreaded crash.

Go hard on omegas

Foods like oily or deep-sea fish, eggs, walnuts, chia seeds, flax, tofu, and avocado work wonders on brain health. They’re low in sugar, won’t have an inflammatory effect on the nervous system, don’t cause the carb crash, and play nice with your digestive system — all of which help your brain work to its peak.

B and E for energy

Vitamins B and E are excellent for energy, your nervous system, brain cognition, and sleep. Incorporate more dairy, meat, nuts, and green leafy vegetables into your meals a week or so before your interview.

7. On the big day

Eat a smaller, high protein and nutrient-dense meal about 90 minutes before you set out to your interview. This will ensure your digestion is under way and your body is geared for maximum nutrient extraction, just when you need it. If you like your caffeine, limit it to one cup after food about an hour prior, which is enough to kick-start your brain without giving you the jitters.

While each person’s health needs are unique and varied, following these simple tweaks to your routine in the days before interviews where you really want to make an impression will make a massive difference to your performance. And if you dare to test it, try doing the opposite of what we suggest here and let us know how it went!

Oh, and best of luck for your next interview. 🏆