So much has been said about how to look for a job, how to prepare, and how to get anywhere at all in the process, but what often gets forgotten is how to keep your peace of mind along the way.

I had the main part almost all covered. I built myself a whole automated job-search process from scratch: scheduled agents, a special kit that lets agents write good resumes, an app for applying and tracking, and an agent that prepares me for every stage and interviews.

Then I realised that the one simple thing I couldn't do was stop... Yeah… I meen I had forgotten what rest is, what weekends are, and what it's like to do nothing and not think about work. When the search is at its most intense, and probably not at its most effective, it's important to let your head switch to something else, at least for a couple of hours.

So I made Clock Out just for myself, a small, funny Chrome extension that helps to control the job search and fixed search hours, instead of endless LinkedIn scrolling and inbox checking. LinkedIn, or any other site I add, opens only during the hours I set. The rest of the time I get a limit screen, guarded by Orekh, a little squirrel who looks after my mental health.

The block is soft on purpose, because a blocker that is too strict just gets uninstalled. I can ignore the limit, but that costs a 15-second wait, buys only five minutes, and uses one of three passes a day. Every attempt is counted, so I can see how often I was pulled back in.