“Is being an insurance agent stressful” may seem like a silly question. For some of you reading this, you are thinking—duh, yes! I’m an insurance agent and stressed all the time. However, I’m here to share another side of the story. We work with agents and whole agencies that are not stressed, not running around with their hair on fire. They are instead calm, cool, and covered—they work strategically.
Now, is every day a walk in the rose garden? No. But when challenges arise, the team identifies it, fixes it, and goes back to the normal flow of work. Here is the reality—being an insurance agent can be stressful, or it can be zen-like. The choice is really yours.
In this article, we will review the common stressors and how you and decrease your stress level around challenges. Also, check out our new series: Cool, Calm, Covered: Mastering Insurance Job Stress.
Educate, Options, & the Client Decides
When I ponder, Is being an insurance agent stressful? I think about some of the most stressed-out agents I have ever seen. In many instances, I have thought that if I touched them, they would crumble to dust—they are so tightly wound. There is no doubt that stress is contagious. I would actually feel the agent’s stress transferring to me, and I try really hard to be zen.
As I started to unpack the common ties to insurance-related stressors, I found a common bond. When insurance agents needed to give a client difficult news, almost every time, the agent absorbed the stress of the conversation, the reaction, and the outcome. In reality, we would all love to provide only happy news, but almost no industries have that luxury.
I started to think about how we can uncouple our stress from the normal, natural news related to insurance. Here are some things I pondered:
- What is the worst thing that happens to me in this event?
- What is the worst thing that happens to the client?
- What is the worst thing that happens to the agency?
- What’s literally the most horrible thing the client can say to me?
Once I identified that the worst thing that could happen was the client leaving, I realized I was safe—it was their choice. As long as I did my best in delivering the news and providing them with options, the final step was for them to make the decision.
Many times, we see each client as an individual, which is a great approach to excellent customer service. However, we can also overdo it. If we are stressed about discussing difficult news, we must remember that we are not the news—we are the communication channel. In these situations, we have to acknowledge that while the client may not like the news, they can still like us.
I don’t like going to the dentist, but I like my dentist. I don’t enjoy paying taxes, but I do like my accountant. We are not the news; we are the communication channel. If you want your team to have some of these strategies check out our new series: Cool, Calm, Covered: Mastering Insurance Job Stress.
You Can’t Care More About Their Insurance Than They Do
Most insurance agents have hundreds, if not upward of 1,000, customers to manage. Now, when I think about being an insurance agent as stressful, I jump to the team members who care too much about each client—to the detriment of other clients, the agent’s health, and, honestly, all too often, the client who doesn’t even value the extra effort.
One strategy to reduce stress is to assess whether you are caring equally for all clients or over-caring for people who don’t even prioritize their own policy. Are you losing sleep over a client who doesn’t have insurance while they are out to eat with their family, unconcerned? If this is the case, you have to let it go. By all means, you need to care, but you must follow the agency’s processes for follow-ups and then move on to helping the next client.
Let It Go, Elsa It
I have seen too many insurance agents stressed about the future. We call that borrowing a problem from the future. This happens when an agent starts listing off ten things that may happen in a hyperactive, hysterical mode that gets me amped up. Even Mel Robbins wrote a whole book—The Let Them Theory—that analyzes how much stress we all carry worrying about the future or what other people are doing.
We can all take a page from Elsa and let it go. You won’t be able to control, fix, or make everything magical. Also, when we don’t allow normal and natural consequences to occur, people don’t learn. Don’t internalize this stress—let it go.
Conclusion To Is Being an Insurance Agent Stressful?
Being an insurance agent comes with its fair share of challenges, but stress doesn’t have to be a constant companion. The key lies in shifting your mindset and focusing on what you can control—educating clients, providing options, and allowing them to make their own decisions. By understanding that you are the communication channel, not the bearer of bad news, you can create healthier boundaries and avoid taking on unnecessary emotional weight.
Remember, you can’t care more about a client’s insurance than they do, and worrying about every possible future scenario won’t change the outcome. Instead, embrace strategic thinking, set clear processes, and, when necessary, channel your inner Elsa and let it go. Stress is a choice, and by adopting a more balanced approach, you can transform your role into one that is both successful and sustainable.
Also, if you want a clear strategy on how to manage insurance stress, check out our new series: Cool, Calm, Covered: Mastering Insurance Job Stress.
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