Why do I feel so bad after interviews?

The Post-Interview Slump: Why You Feel Exhausted After Job Interviews

The interview is over. You shake hands, thank the interviewer, and exit the building, a whirlwind of carefully crafted answers and practiced smiles swirling in your wake. But instead of feeling relief, you’re hit with a wave of exhaustion – a profound sense of fatigue that lingers long after you’ve reached home. This isn’t just tiredness; it’s a specific type of post-interview slump, and understanding its cause can help you navigate it better.

The feeling is often more intense than simply being tired after a long day. It’s a deeper, more visceral exhaustion stemming from the immense mental and emotional pressure exerted during the interview process. Think of it as a marathon for your mind, not your body. Before, during, and even after the interview, your brain is operating at peak capacity.

This heightened state of alertness demands significant cognitive resources. You’re constantly monitoring your body language, carefully constructing your responses, actively listening, and simultaneously trying to decipher the interviewer’s cues. This hyper-vigilance is taxing, requiring sustained focus and concentration that surpasses even the most demanding work tasks. It’s akin to running a high-performance computer at maximum capacity for an extended period – eventually, it will overheat and need to cool down.

The element of anxiety plays a significant role. Regardless of how prepared you feel, the inherent uncertainty associated with job interviews triggers a stress response. This anxiety is often suppressed throughout the interview to maintain composure, but it doesn’t disappear. The emotional energy spent suppressing those feelings adds to the overall depletion, leading to that feeling of being emotionally wrung out.

Furthermore, the high stakes involved amplify the exhaustion. The desired outcome – securing the job – carries significant weight, putting immense pressure on the performance. This heightened emotional investment directly correlates with the intensity of the post-interview fatigue. The more you want the position, the more likely you are to experience a pronounced slump afterward.

Recognizing this post-interview exhaustion as a natural consequence of a demanding mental and emotional process is the first step to managing it. Allow yourself time to recover. Engage in relaxing activities, prioritize sleep, and allow your mind to unwind. Acknowledging the effort you put in, rather than dwelling on potential outcomes, can also significantly contribute to a smoother recovery. The interview is just one step in the process; allow yourself the grace to rest and recharge before the next one.