Champions of Mental Resilience

Since 2011, Allianz has been a proud partner of Paralympics Australia and, since 2019, the Australian Olympic Committee. As the Official Insurance Partner of the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Teams, Allianz embraces the opportunity to promote Olympic and Paralympic values, and appreciates the social, physical and mental benefits it can spread to communities everywhere.

Daniel Kowalski, the Olympian Services Manager for the Australian Olympic Committee, believes there hasn't been a time in recent memory where wellbeing was as important as it is now.

“Whilst there are a lot of things that are out of our control, we’re providing our Olympic family with a number of initiatives that they can control and engage with, most notably Wellbeing Week.”

This year, Allianz was thrilled to partner with the Australian Olympic Committee to present Wellbeing Week 2020, which was held in September and comprised of a series of Lunch & Learn sessions with industry experts and Olympians, streamed live on Facebook.

“The initiative gave the athletes a strong foundation across a number of wellbeing areas so they can grow and prosper and ensure they maintain a positive state through these trying times,” Kowalski adds.

MENTAL RESILIENCE

Australian professional surfer, Owen Wright, says he has an entirely new perspective on mental strength since he suffered a serious head injury while surfing overseas in 2015..

The current world number nine and Olympic hopeful says sheer determination and mental strength enabled him to get back out into the ocean and continue surfing big waves.

Owen’s experience is arguably one of the most incredible comeback stories ever told. He believes, ”Mental strength means riding the waves of emotion and life like he rides the waves out in the ocean.”

“Recovering from my accident gave me a new perspective on mental strength. Fear is always present, but for me, it’s about embracing and acknowledging it, rather than wishing it away,” he says.

“If you listen to fear, it can be a good thing; it can teach you to be more patient and to see things in a new light. It’s been a journey; I didn’t gain this perspective overnight,” Owen says.

Paralympian Madison de Rozario says she’s also been more proactive about her mental health in recent months. She may be an elite athlete, but negative thoughts still creep in sometimes. “When I compete I often think, what if I let people down, what if it’s not enough, what if I don’t perform my best? The bigger the stage I’m competing on, the louder these thoughts get.”

But she’s determined to stop negativity in its tracks and come back stronger than ever.

“I’ve been working on stopping negative thoughts and giving more airtime to the positive ones. By speaking up, I hope to show that even athletes are vulnerable; it’s OK to have fears, but we can’t let our fears stop us from progressing,” she says.

If you or someone you know needs support, you can contact Beyond Blue Support Services 24/7 on 1300 224 636, or Lifeline 24/7 Crisis Support on 13 11 14.

To find out more about Allianz’s ambassadors, as well as its role as the Official Insurance Partner of the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Teams at allianz.com.au/aboutus/olympics-and-paralympics.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE

Stress and setbacks are a part of life, and you can’t avoid them. Mental resilience is the ability to cope with unexpected changes and challenges in your life. You may already have skills and support networks that help you to be resilient. However, you may be able to strengthen your resilience even further, making it easier for you to face difficult situations and maintain good mental health.

Here are a few steps you can take to strengthen your resilience:

Knowing your strengths and keeping them in mind

Building your self-esteem – have confidence in your abilities and the positive things in life

Building healthy relationships

Knowing when to ask for help

Managing stress and anxiety levels

Working on problem solving skills and coping strategies

A ROADMAP TO WORKPLACE WELLBEING

Tiffany Eastland shares expert insights on helping clients identify, assess and manage workplace risks to mental health.

Over the past decade, Mark Pittman has observed an 80 per cent increase in psychological injury claims. The General Manager of Government Services (Workers Compensation) at Allianz, says one in every 1400 workers in Australia place a mental health related claim each year.

“The major factors that we see are stress, lack of sleep and a loss of motivation or interest in work, but when you drill down further to see what’s actually causing those factors, you’re looking at unrealistic workloads, real or perceived, not feeling valued or engaged, and for some, financial pressure at home.”

Pittman believes that brokers have an important role to play in helping clients identify, assess and manage workplace risks to mental health, especially now.

IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING THE RISKS

According to Pittman, a lot of employers understand how important it is to have a healthy workplace, but when it comes to how to assess the mental health of their workforce, many are at a loss.

He believes brokers can help the employer identify what some of the challenges are, because there is going to be a financial impact that is clearly visible. “Has your client noticed a drop off in productivity? Is there a high turnover rate? How engaged are their employees?”

Pittman says, there’s not a one size fits all approach, so a broker, who has insight into their client’s business, is in a great position to identify and assess factors that may be cause for concern.

MANAGING THE RISKS

The role of the broker doesn’t stop there, in fact Pittman believes there’s a great opportunity for brokers to be a part of the solution by facilitating the implementation of a suitable workplace mental health program.

One workplace program seeing phenomenal results is Smiling Mind, a 100 per cent Australian not-for-profit organisation that was established in 2012 by Jane Martino and James Tutton, two senior and successful entrepreneurs that were reaching burnout.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

Kate Perkins, Head of Workplace Programs at Smiling Mind, says mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and non-judgement. “By being more present we foster a calmer mind and nervous system, as we are spending less time caught up in unhelpful rumination about the future and the past, a key driver of stress and anxiety” she adds.

Through practising mindfulness and meditation, research shows people can reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. It can also boost working memory and help improve performance, resilience and increase self-esteem.

From a business perspective, this can translate into reduced absenteeism and presenteeism, Perkins explains. “It can also help to increase retention of skilled staff. Importantly, mindfulness and meditation is a proactive, preventive tool for managing our mental health, so has relevance for all of us.”

HOW COVID-19 IS ADAPTING THE WAY WE WORK

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 Pittman says the concept of work-life integration has taken over from work-life balance. The mentality is, “I can still achieve what I would achieve in the workplace, but I’m going to do it in a flexible way, in a way that suits me, and still give the business the outcomes that it expects from me,” he explains.

For Lisa Carter, Director of Clear Insurance and Stephen Ball Memorial Award recipient, work-life integration has played a crucial role in her success.

As a mother of three children, she says her work and home life are deeply intertwined. “I’m fortunate that I can put my children’s schedule first and not miss any of their essential school, extra-curricular or sporting events, while still enjoying a highly rewarding insurance career and delivering excellent service to our Clear Insurance clients.”

If you or someone you know needs support, you can contact Beyond Blue Support Services 24/7 on 1300 224 636, or Lifeline 24/7 Crisis Support on 13 11 14.