I’m a LikeMinder and proud.

Our account manager Kirsty reflects on mental health in the insurance industry and the launch of a new insurance mental health network

“I need help”

Three little words but for some people impossible to say.  We all face challenges throughout our lives, work pressures, family, financial difficulties, mental illness and this year, all of the myriad of factors that can cause our mental health to decline have been compounded by the rapid spread of a deadly virus and subsequent lockdown, something we’ve just never experienced before.

Over the past nine months, many of us have carried an almost unbearable burden, keeping ourselves and our families safe as well as continuing to carry out our day to day lives with as much sense of normality as possible.  For some, “keep calm and carry on” will have been an oft-repeated mantra but for others, just getting out of bed in the morning will have been a daily struggle.

Yes, mental health is a challenge for society as a whole, but I’ve often felt that the sting is slightly more acute in the insurance industry.  Here is a highly pressured environment full of people taking on the risks of others, dealing with fluctuating markets and working with customers who are often facing their darkest times.  Not to mention, and I hate to say it, but this has been a male-dominated industry for so long, and with that inevitably comes the “stiff upper lip” culture. Socially the tide is turning, men are getting the support they need to open up and share their experiences, the stigma of appearing “weak” is slowly being eroded, but for a very long time, talking about mental health and emotions, breaking down and admitting to struggling just wasn’t the done thing.  So, it’s perhaps not a surprise that many companies within the industry have yet to establish a culture and embed the mechanisms needed to offer the support that many of us will need at one time or another.

Of course there are pockets of support available, and more companies within the industry have really robust wellness programmes and a culture of openness that helps to bolster employees’ mental health, but for some people, asking for help or support with the mental wellness just isn’t an option.

So, I was delighted to attend the launch of LikeMind last week.  Set up by volunteers from across the industry, LikeMind is the first insurance mental health network designed to help anyone in the industry who needs guidance and support in looking after their own mental health or would like to bring about change in the environment and resources available in their companies. 

Sitting in on the successful launch event via Zoom, one thing stood out to me, mental health support must go beyond a “tick box” approach, as guest speaker, Petra Velzeboer phrased it.  She’s right, it’s relatively easy to introduce an employee assistance programme or mental first aider but we must strive to go beyond that and create an environment where those things are part of the landscape and not just standalone support tools.

I’m really excited to see how LikeMind grows and businesses become better at working to support their employees who may be facing difficulties, but meanwhile, I’m proud to say that I’m a “LikeMinder” and will always be ready support any of my colleagues if and when they need me.

For more information about LikeMind, visit https://www.likemind.uk/