A Day in the Life

Work. Life. Balance. What a nice ring to it. Sure we all want it. So how do we get it then? Further, when we do get it how can we possible sustain it?

In the world of insurance it’s apparent that claims are on the rise. Mother Nature, catastrophic events and ongoing legislative changes have led the world of claim adjusting into a new realm.

Adjusters have unrelenting demands and pressures. Ironically, long period of stress could result in short and long-term disability claims for the individuals on the front lines of insurance adjusting.

So, let’s turn the table on the risk management world. Is it not a risk to put this type of pressure on those who work within the risk management/insurance industry? It is not healthy on any level (physical/emotional/psychological/emotional) to live at this level of stress or let’s call it hypervigilance.

After an average eight-hour workday (which is not average for most adjusters), how can you drop from the level of hypervigilance to live a ‘normal’ balanced lifestyle? It’s not impossible, but it comes from a place of pure 100% effort.

It doesn’t matter what type of claims you are handling. Behind the claim number is a human attachment. If you add in the level of technology that our world now lives and breathes, it’s no wonder there are people struggling with work-life balance. Look at how we communicate now, Cell phones, emails, and text messages, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and Skype. The list is endless, lengthy and growing rapidly on a daily basis – new innovation to communicate. Literally, no one has to pick the phone up and call someone; they can relay their message in a non-verbal fashion on a screen. This is a great facet in the risk management world – documentation!

In Canada alone, we send 270 million text messages daily, yes, daily. Isn’t that a scary thought?

You have to take those transferrable skills of time and organizational management and put them into your daily life to balance out all elements in your life – family, career, health and friends. It is possible. Effort is the key here along with the ability to look at it as a simplistic task in your everyday challenge to balance yourself.

The definition of work-life balance is being able to separate work and personal life in order to handle stress, feel happier and get along better with everyone (colleagues and family/friends). This is a daunting task if your cell phone is supplied by your employer and you use it for both work and personal. All of your emails for both aspects of your life coming on one device – is this positive or negative? Some may view this as extreme organization and handy, yet others may find it intrusive.

When we look at where we have come from to where we are today it is no wonder we are struggling with work-life balance. Changing technology and evolving demands of different generations put enormous pressure on how we achieve, maintain and sustain work-life balance.

If we are presented with a life-threatening scenario, our lives stop. We think of nothing else. A good example of this is a diagnosis of cancer. If you were given this terrible news but were told that the ‘magic’ pill was $100,000.00 and you were cured. Where would your mindset take you? The only thing on your mind would be to call the bank or family and do what you have to do. Buy that magic pill. Problem solved. Now, if it were only that easy. My point is that life would stop because of your mindset. You would do what you had to do – period.

Why do people wait until they receive a diagnosis with a not so welcoming prognosis? What has happened to planning, organizing, thinking and being preventative – also known as work-life balance?

Consider the simplicity of taking the time to learn a new way to think before you can change your lifestyle (see attached tips). Work-life balance is not achieved overnight. Like a claim, a baseline must be established before you can observe and see the changes.

So, don’t take the old adage been there, done that, issued a claim number, got the t-shirt. Be pro-active and exercise the right to take control of your life on all accounts – personal and work. You cannot issue a claim number on a life that cannot be lived anymore. 

Deb Crowe is a work-life-balance specialist. She works as a professional speaker & coach within the insurance and corporate sectors. She can be reached at (519) 878-5839 and at www.mamadeb.com.