Making it work: How benefits professionals approach mental health

We asked our readers, “We talk a lot about mental health when it comes to employers and employees, but what about benefits professionals?” Here’s what you said.

The great outdoors

The last two years have been a challenge for benefits professionals. Not only was I dealing with the pandemic on a personal level, I also had the weight of assisting all of my clients and their employees through the stress and uncertainty. Add to that a daughter who was set to graduate from high school and no toilet paper, and it was a perfect storm of fear and anxiety! As days turned into weeks and months and I settled into a routine, I started to reevaluate my personal life and career. Was I happy in employee benefits? Yes! Did I love my clients? Yes! Had I risen to a point in my career that I was happy with? Yes.

Related: Shifting ground: How the Great Resignation is affecting benefits brokers

When life started to return to “normal” and there was talk of going back to the office, this is when I decided that I wasn’t a right fit at my company anymore. In the time of working remotely, I was able to head south and avoid the long winters. There is truly something to being able to get outside in the sunshine each day to keep you healthy – both mentally and physically.

Being able to take trips in the great outdoors, where I held Zoom meetings from my camper (usually with a dog as my assistant) was life-changing. I did not miss a beat and realized that work-life balance was so important. The thought of driving two hours roundtrip each day to go to a half-empty office was not what I wanted anymore. I now work for a company that wholeheartedly embraces technology and a remote workforce. The diversity and experience of our widespread staff makes us such a strong team, and while I do miss lunches with clients and in-person meetings, I have been able to establish great relationships with co-workers and clients.

Stephanie Donovan, senior benefits advisor, Melita Group

You’re not alone

A lot of us have had our faith tested during these times, and what I will say is that you want to make sure that if you are struggling mentally or emotionally to deal with our new normal, seek out the help of a licensed professional. No matter how you feel, you are not alone and there are people that love you and are rooting for you.

I have to remind myself of this a time or two, especially during my bout with severe COVID and the subsequent isolation. People care about you and don’t hesitate to reach out to your network when you are going through tough times.

Felipe Barganier CEO and president, GAB International LLC

They can never take our…

When I think about burnout and balance, the first thing that comes to mind is freedom. In 2021, I committed to a 30-hour workweek because I wanted more freedom to enjoy the hard work I was putting into my business. Not only did this offer me the freedom to play golf on Fridays, meet with friends throughout the week, and spend more time at home with my family, but it actually fueled me to perform better while I was working.

A 30-hour work week may not be possible for all people, but freedom is. I recommend that you define time in your calendar each day, week, month, and year, that is dedicated to you. Use it to relax, recharge and reap the rewards of all that hard work you have put into your business.

Ryan Miller, sales performance and leadership development coach

Take your time

For me, it was reminding myself to take my own medicine. Taking breaks and even shutting it down when I feel the anxiety/stress rising. Using those breaks to process the highs and lows and be more consistent with self-reflection has become transformational for my own mental health.

I have severely burned out in my past and my personality is prone to it again, so I needed to change my mindset and habits during and since COVID hit. If I have no issues getting to the gym five or six days a week, why can’t I take 10-15 minutes several days a week for my own mental health?

John Troutman, national marketing and business development, Mazzitti & Sullivan EAP Services

On the road

I’ve never felt more like the walls were closing in than I have in the last two years. The past few years, I got in my car and traveled all over the country several times, logging close to 8k miles per trip. It was the best thing I ever did. I saw a lot of the country that I’ve always wanted to see, including Mount Rushmore, the Appalachian Mountains and the world’s largest frying pan in Brandon, Iowa. I’m still recovering from COVID lockdown symptoms, but I’m now more open to forcing myself into new experiences and adventures that help me to decompress and connect with the outside world.

Daniel Corliss, health and benefit advisor, DC Advisory LLC

Clear the path

As insurance executives and leaders, our jobs are not easy, and they continue to trend to get harder as additional demands are placed on our roles as consultants and, reassigning yourself into a completely new marketplace outside of insurance is not a bad thing when protecting your own personal health and wellbeing.

For those battling or looking, I believe our industry needs to do a better job of not focusing on compensation and guarantees but rather that of successful onboarding tools, industry engagement, workforce management training, professional development opportunities and paired mentoring opportunities when bringing on new hires. I firmly believe if we don’t slow this trend we will run out of quality industry leaders to fill key roles within our marketplace.

Trevor Garbers, VP, practice leader, HUB International Insurance Services Inc.

Planned and purposeful

As many began to work remotely, we virtually welcomed our colleagues into our homes and got to know them at a different and more personal level. As a result, they have had the opportunity to see our children, family pets, laundry piles and our authentic selves. Remember when you would run into your elementary school teacher at the grocery store and be surprised she was a real person? Similar scenario.

The human-to-human connection created a more trusted relationship that helps deepen the connection between employer/employee and makes for a better work/life dynamic. In addition, it allows conversations that are much more intentional; although many miss “running into someone at the water cooler” for small talk, the flip side is that conversations are planned and purposeful. The new or increased trust in the manager/employee relationship is a silver lining coming out of the pandemic and something that we should all continue to foster.

Anna Lyons, SVP, people & culture, Alegeus

Take care

We’ve taken a pretty solid stance on making sure our employees are feeling supported, heard, understood and able to enjoy their lives outside of work. We started with half-day Fridays so all our employees can log out for the day by the lunch hour to enjoy an extended weekend or simply accommodate more of their non-work lives at the end of the week. We also increased PTO banks for all employees this year, ensuring that a healthy amount of time-off is available up front rather than on a painfully slow accrual basis. And most recently, we enlisted the help of Flow – a company embracing the benefits of meditation for working professionals.

As we look toward the end of the year, we’ll start to implement practices like Monday Meditation before we all start our week, just to get everyone in the right frame of mind for the days ahead. And, finally, we know our employees are going to make mistakes, and we will, too. We are dedicated to helping create a better second experience with the same challenge rather than reprimanding for something that can be perceived as failure. We have a great team and we love taking care of them!

Emma Fox, partner & COO, E Powered Benefits

Look to each other

Insurance agents and brokers have a lot of great mental health resources at their fingertips through their agencies, associations, and applications. Primary health plans and telemedicine are the first line of defense, but a number of great health care advocacy programs do a great job in helping to address the need for mental health services. Most importantly, agents and brokers also have the power of networking with their fellow agents and friends in the industry to tap into additional resources along with the deep dive conversations, love and support within our community. We are all here to support and help one another.

Wayne Sakamoto, president, Health Insurance Interactive, Inc.

Full house, full hearts

My whole family has been home-based for years. We know that we have quantity time but must make quality time a priority. My husband and I have coffee and play cards in the morning and my kids all have snuggle time. We are blessed to have an infrared sauna and swim spa and use it frequently. I have also been an ice bath and “boiling” hot bubble bath taker for years, which just melts away stress and increases cortisol levels for me. We laugh a lot. We have family close-a mother-in-law in-house and mom next door. Music is a part of our lives. This includes four piano players and frequent dance-offs in the kitchen.

Fresh air and grounding (walk barefoot) is as important as sleep and supplements. Please keep your hormones balanced. You may not know how much that can mess up for you. With all that said, keeping short accounts with myself and others is the best thing for my mental health. Forgive quickly. Whether your own demons or someone else’s words/actions against you. Forgive quickly. You don’t need another person’s permission or knowledge to forgive. It is your responsibility and for your own health. Love to all! Disclaimer: Life is not perfect. These are just a few things we’ve found that work for us.

Karen L. Kirkpatrick, owner, On Your Mark Consulting

Keeping burnout at bay

The last two years have been hard on everyone for many reasons. I’m a salesman, a people person by trade. The isolation I faced in the early part of the pandemic was the most difficult piece of my mental health puzzle. Only a few months earlier, I had been meeting with prospects, customers, and partners face to face over meals. Suddenly, I was working 10+ hours behind a screen in my basement home office. Keeping up that pace led to what my therapist described as burnout. I eventually had to quit my job to save my mental health.

Today, I take much smaller steps to nurture my mental health. Coupled with therapy, medication, and a lot of grace, here are a few things I do to keep burnout at bay and maintain harmony between my work and life.

• Spend at least 30 minutes per day outside. You’re a houseplant with more complicated emotions.
• Block off at least 30 minutes during your workday to move. It can be a HIIT workout or a leisurely walk.
• Separate your workspace from your living space physically and figuratively. Commit to answering emails only between 8 – 6 (or whatever time frame works for you).
• Practice gratitude. Start simply by writing down three things you’re thankful for every morning.

Sims Tillirson, VP, business development, PERKS

3-step program

Burnout for us as professionals on the consulting side is a constant battle and why I have made some tough choices about with whom I’ll work. The most significant issues that I face daily are: information flow (too many emails and too many calls); my to-do list continuing to expand; the feeling of playing “whack-a-mole” with items that need resolution; and so many more. Compound those feelings with the frequency of heavy workload, quarterly financial reviews, mid-year plan reviews, pre-renewals, and renewals, all while attempting to obtain a new business which in my space typically requires participation in an RFP process.

I started taking several steps to ensure my sanity and enjoyment of the industry, but for that of my team as well. First, you only are in your inbox at set increments throughout the day. We can’t possibly think that sitting in our inboxes and hopefully putting out fires while hearing Outlook “ping” every time an email comes in will make us efficient and effective. So, my team and I have block time on our calendars to ensure that the only time we are in our inboxes at specific times each day; we also have our away messages on constantly that show the times we are in our inboxes as a commitment to our client’s quality of service.

Second, you have to take time off! Even though I still check my emails for an hour a day while on vacation, the rest of that day, I am unavailable. I can recharge my battery, and I am not walking back into a multi-thousand unread item inbox.

Third, celebrate the singles and doubles. So often in this industry, we only celebrate sales, or sometimes, we only celebrate the BIG sales. I learned early on that expressing gratitude to the service team, your service partners, your clients, and even yourself is a great way to enjoy wins together and build the best relationships and relieve the stress of this field.

Cameron Cummins, managing partner, Transparent by Design

Read more: 

• Employee productivity is up, but so is burnout
• Addressing the mental health crisis in the workplace
• Making stress awareness a year-round effort in the workplace