Take good care of yourself during job-hunting season. When you go to conferences or the Annual Meeting, bring herbal teabags and a reusable water bottle; the hotel will likely provide free urns of coffee and tea, but you may want to avoid drinking too much caffeine. In general, when on the road, granola bars or little bags of nuts can help you get through a trying day with little time to eat. Aspirin, Tums, and cough drops are good ideas, the last essential when you are giving a paper.
And finally, enjoy yourself: this is not an impossible task. At the Annual Meeting, receptions in the evenings give you a chance to meet your peers as well as schmooze with your elders. Keep an eye out for everyone-is-invited, junior- friendly parties (those run by women’s groups, LGBTQ+, and other affinity groups to rate high on the welcoming and comfortable scale). During the day, if you have the energy, consider attending an informal roundtable discussion on issues like teaching in the wake of Covid, work-life balance, and preparing work for publication.