FAMILY
Lifestyle
INSURANCE INSIGHT A Call To Action
By Dennia Beard, State Farm Insurance
I have to admit that I am sad. Work is different. My social life has come to a halt. “Social distance” is suddenly a phrase we hear every day. If you’re like me, your world has been turned upside down. The front doors of both of my offices have been locked now for almost two months. I truly treasure my time in my office with my work family and meeting with my customer family. We can’t meet in our conference room because we can’t socially distance there. We can’t even high-five when
something really cool happens. I had spring break plans with my family that I was ridiculously excited for, and those disappeared in an instant. At this point, I don’t even know what summer will look like. The empty days leave so much to think about, but mainly how precious the time we’re all losing is. Not to mention how genuinely challenging it is to regulate mental and physical health while cooped up inside, waiting out this madness. I say all of this realizing that I am
among the lucky ones. As hard as things are for me and my family, they are immensely harder for a vast number of people. For me, it is a frustrating time, for others, this is a matter of life and death. If this includes you, please know that I love you and am praying for your safety as you navigate your health during this dangerous time. Our industry is scrambling to adjust to meet customer needs. While our lobby doors might be closed, we are acclimating to our new normal and are learning from this experience. One thing is disturbingly clear: as insurance professionals, we should not be saying, “it’s too sensitive, let’s not talk about it,” but instead say “let’s talk about the risks of losing our jobs or getting sick or passing away.” In normal times, consumers might not think about their insurance products too much. The uncertainty has definitely shifted focus. As a society, we are seeking to understand our coverage and address personal and professional risks. Locally, we have seen higher than usual levels of consumer search traffic for life and disability insurance, along with more actual policies written compared to the past several years. With a growing percentage of Americans out of work, customers
38 • Saline County Lifestyles • Conquering COVID
