7 Habits, 7 resets during Mental Health Month

Each October, the World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Month. This year the theme is clear: move from listening to action. Talking about mental health matters, but lasting change comes from building coping skills and sustainable self care under daily pressures.

For brokers, this message lands close to home. According to Auto and General research, the strongest drivers of client loyalty are simple but profound:
•    Feeling valued and understood
•    Receiving proactive communication
•    Having a trusted person to turn to
•    Confidence that someone is advocating on their behalf
That is the edge you bring. You stand in the storm with clients when life goes wrong. But that edge comes at a cost.

The Broker’s balancing act
Clients expect you to simplify, guide, and fight their corner. Meanwhile, you’re juggling business growth, multiple insurer relationships, compliance obligations, and rising service expectations.
It is no surprise that mental wellbeing often takes a backseat. Research across 227 entrepreneurs in 46 countries < <17 Mental Health Statistics for Entrepreneurs> found:
•    87.7% struggle with at least one mental health issue
•    34.4% experience burnout
•    50.2% wrestle with anxiety

Entrepreneurs, including brokers, often find joy in autonomy and achievement. Yet burnout hits differently when work and personal life overlap. It erodes self esteem and sparks doubts more acutely than in traditional jobs. Anxiety, the most common issue, is often temporary, but managing it means focusing on what is controllable, not trying to eliminate it.

Guarding and growing your edge
Think about last week: a client whose house flooded, a business owner who had a break-in, a family that nearly lost more than just a car. You had to listen, reassure, and be their voice.
That is what makes you irreplaceable. It is also what makes your job quietly exhausting. Brokers absorb their clients’ stress, which leads to burnout. But burnout rarely arrives overnight. It creeps in. Protecting your edge means combining daily habits with monthly resets that help you keep your edge.

Daily habits 
1.    Protect your first hour. Check your priorities before your inbox. A calm start sets the tone.
2.    Set honest response times. Reliability builds more trust than rushed speed.
3.    Decompress after hard calls. Take five minutes to walk, breathe, or reset.
4.    Hand over the administration. Delegate or automate to free up time for people.
5.    Talk to someone who gets it. Fellow brokers, mentors, or professionals can help. Do not carry it alone.
6.    Plan for yourself. Financial stress feeds mental stress. Ensure your own cover and succession plan.
7.    Know the warning signs. Poor sleep, irritability, dread, or numbness are signals, not weaknesses.

Monthly resets
Layer in one practice a month and rotate them to strengthen your wellbeing:

1.     5 4 3 2 1 mindfulness: Here is a quick exercise that you can use anytime, anywhere: Once a day, pause where you are and focus on:
   5 things you can see
   4 things  you can feel 
   3 things you can hear
   2 things you can smell
   1 thing you can taste.
2.     Get outside: Walk, watch the sunrise, swim… whatever you do, leave the headphones at home, and resist taking 100 pictures.  Breathe in the fresh air and take in your surroundings.
3.     Unplug: Give your senses a break from constant noise.
4.     Listen to your body: Choose movement that feels right, not forced.
5.     Love yourself: Run a bath, watch a favourite movie, indulge in chocolate, or do all of them at once.
6.     Prioritise basics: Sleep, hydration, balanced meals … even a kitchen dance counts.
7.     Most importantly, laugh often.

Together, these habits and resets form a rhythm: daily protection, monthly renewal. That rhythm is how you sustain your edge.

The human edge
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group receives between 2000 to 3000 calls a day. Reaching out is common, and it works.
Your clients trust you because you are human. Look after that human. The most valuable thing in your brokerage is not your book, your systems, or your compliance record. It is you.

Your edge is being human. Protect it.
Need to talk?
•    SADAG 24 hour Mental Health Helpline: 0800 456 789
•    Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0800 567 567

Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or medical advice. Auto and General is a licensed non-life insurer and FSP, Ts & Cs online.