Insurance and risk management is a great industry to be in, but it is also challenging. Insurance agents and brokers face pressure from policyholders, insurers, regulatory agencies, and more. This is why it is critical to grow your resiliency skills with our top 5 ways to build resilience.
Resilient people may be happier, recover more quickly from setbacks, and offset depression and anxiety. Being resilient can help you stay healthy and improve your ability to cope with hardships.
Check out our tips and try incorporating them into your daily activities.
5 Ways to Build Resilience as an Insurance Agent
Build your resilience with these top tips:
Rely on your support network.
Establish a strong network of supporters — then rely on them to lift you up! Look to your colleagues, friends, partners, and mentors to start building a strong support network. These should be people you trust and feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with. Focus on developing these relationships to begin having a network of people you can lean on when things are challenging. Your friends and family lift you up, so become intentional about building that same type of support network in your professional life. Other agents and brokers understand the struggles you may face, so they are helpful to include in your support network.
Build time for yourself into your schedule.
Try including time every day for something that refreshes you. This could be a simple walk at lunch, spending time outdoors, meditating, practicing a favorite hobby, or focusing on mindfulness. Step outside your usual routine and take a mini break each day to refresh yourself. These short bursts of time can go a long way toward improving your resiliency when things are tough.
Take time to learn from your mistakes and move on.
Give yourself grace when you make a mistake. Learn from it, reflect on things you could have done differently, then allow yourself to move forward. Resilient people keep going, even through setbacks. Try focusing on what you have learned and applying it to create a new outcome. Try new things — and allow yourself to fail at them. Then take the lessons you’ve learned to try something new.
Become more flexible to grow your resiliency.
Flexibility goes hand-in-hand with resiliency. When things go wrong, resilient people are able to change course quickly. This flexibility means you don’t become stressed about the small things that go wrong. Resilient people know unexpected things will arise, but they handle it in stride because they are flexible. Develop your ability to be flexible to increase your resiliency.
Focus on the positives.
If you’re an optimistic person by nature, you may already practice this tip. But if you struggle with overcoming the negatives, Psychology Today recommends looking for the silver lining and finding the benefits in life. Instead of focusing on the negative parts of an experience, try looking for the benefits — the lessons learned, the things that did go right, or the ways you grew as a result. Change can be difficult for everyone, but remembering the new opportunities that arise from changes can help you stay positive. Focusing on the good things takes practice, but it is worth shifting your perspective to a more optimistic one to help build your resilience.
Learn More With a Membership to the American Agents Alliance
Independent agents and brokers can access more tips about resiliency and other skills by joining the American Agents Alliance. Helpful resources, like our blog, allow you to educate yourself at your own pace. Our annual conference is the largest P&C event in the West. Join us September 14-16, 2023, in Palm Desert, California, for the best in education and networking.
Become a member of the American Agents Alliance today for these and other valuable benefits!
