Searching for a job can be stressful for many reasons, but getting too overwhelmed can hurt your chances of landing a position you’re happy with. Stress can lead you to making mistakes on applications, appearing fidgety in interviews, and even damaging your overall health. These are the tell-tale signs of a stressed job seeker, but they can be avoided if candidates take the right approach.

The first step is to set realistic goals and follow through with them whenever possible. Keep a calendar or some sort of schedule and define concrete, manageable deadlines for your week, such as “apply to five jobs per day” or “have resume finalized by Monday.” At the end of a week, you can look back and review your progress; if you stick with your goals, this will give you a sense of accomplishment that can fuel you to keep going.

It’s important to make sure you identify success as meeting these smaller goals, not simply “getting a job.” The end-goal of becoming employed might seem difficult to attain, but the only way to get there is to think positively and stay productive. Focusing only on whether or not you’re employed by the end of the week or month will lead only to stress, which might affect your productivity and therefore your chances of landing a job in the long run. Instead, reward yourself for your productivity as you meet these goals and acknowledge that you are doing the best you can.

It’s best to also set aside time for regular breaks. It’s important to maintain a work-life balance while searching in order to stay as stress-free as possible; it’s all too easy to get sucked up in your job search and allow it to swallow up all your free time. When you schedule your goals, also schedule blocks of time or even whole days in which you can shop, watch television, spend time with family—anything but think about your job search. You’ll be more productive, and less stressed, if you’re refreshed and looking at your search with fresh eyes. This also minimizes the risk of making mistakes which can greatly stress you out.

To feel the most at rest during these times, it can also be helpful to alert your network, as knowing that others are looking out for you can help ease your mind. Job searching can also be isolating, so having your contacts on the lookout can help you avoid feeling alone in your endeavor. Your time off will also be particularly restful if you stay organized—that way, when you return, you can pick up right where you left off.

Finally, and possibly the most important, is to avoid perfectionism. It’s important to stay organized, meet your goals and deadlines, and do all you can to ensure you’re employed in a reasonable amount of time. But everyone must be flexible with their goals at some point to compensate for unexpected disturbances to their routine; stressing over the fact that you didn’t meet your goal for the day or the week will only set you back further. So learn from the experience, adjust your plan accordingly, and push forward!