Importance of Mental Health for Aspiring Actuaries

It was in 2014, when I was introduced to the concept of mental health while volunteering in North East India for a social organisation. When I got to know about the idea of mental health and its importance, I immediately thought of well-being of actuarial students, whom I was teaching. I could relate to few incidents of depression, anxiety, anger and addictions that I observed among my students, suggesting that they all need a good mental health to stay focused to pass the challenging exams of actuarial profession.

Mental health is about being able to work and study to your full potential, cope with day-to-day life stresses, be involved with your community, and live your life in a free and satisfying way. A person who has good mental health has good emotional and social well-being and the capacity to cope with changes and challenges.

Feeling down, tense, angry or anxious are all normal emotions, but when these feelings persist for a long period of time, they may be a part of mental health problem. Such mental health problems can influence how you think and your ability to function in your everyday activities, whether at college, at work or in relationships.

Studying for actuarial sciences and becoming an Actuary is a long process and often take many years for an average student. It is imperative to remain focused and maintain good mental health throughout the path to become an Actuary.

Depression: You may be experiencing depression after the unexpected exam results, lack of exam preparation, not being able to get a job or simply not able to progress in your actuarial career. Even though it may seem hard, it is important to talk with someone that you trust about how you feel. You could talk with a parent, teacher, counsellor, family member or friend. Most student actuaries are able to recover from depression with the right help. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can recover.

Internet Addiction: I have observed many aspiring actuaries to surf internet for hours together in search of information related to career, exams and exemptions. This compulsive web surfing or database searching leading to lower concentration for exam preparation and lower interaction with family and friends.

To break out of this addiction, ensure that you ask yourself – “What am I missing out, when I spend so much time on the internet?”. Write down these activities that you could do to get one step closer to becoming Actuary and decrease your internet time to pursue your studies to pass the exams.

One should seek professional help, if they experience more complex versions of mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, behavioural and emotional disorders etc. I strongly recommend that you maintain good mental health by regular physical exercise, eating well, practicing relaxation, expressing your feelings and doing things that you enjoy.

To help aspiring actuaries during these unprecedented times of COVID 19, I am available for free career counselling. If you are an actuarial student who is experiencing career challenges and looking for counselling, please drop me a LinkedIn message.