Welcome to the club
In my early twenties, I learned the hard way that your mind can completely take over your body. My panic attacks back then were the kind that pull the ground out from under you, where breathing feels impossible, sleep disappears, and your limbs go numb. I went to bed in socks, sweatpants, a hoodie, and a toque for years because it was the only way I could get through the night.
What shocked me most was discovering that something invisible could feel so physically real. I had no idea anxiety could do that.
Since then, I’ve made a point of sharing my story, with friends, co-workers, anyone who needs to hear it. Not because I want sympathy, but because I never want someone to think they’re the only one going through this. The truth is, so many of us are carrying our own version of the same storm.
And in the salon industry, this is even more common than people think. A Joico study showed that 65% of hair professionals experience anxiety or depression at some point in their careers, and mental health is consistently ranked as the number-one challenge stylists face. Clients even notice it, in one survey, 27% felt their stylist seemed stressed, and 20% said their stylist seemed anxious.
When you think about what stylists hold, it makes sense. Hours of emotional labour. Trauma dumping. Constant people-facing energy. A schedule that rarely lets you breathe. And underneath all of it, the pressure to stay endlessly upbeat and endlessly available.
So many stylists feel like they’re “supposed” to handle it all, even when the job is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. Nearly half of stylists say it’s hard to separate themselves from work once they leave the salon. I don’t think that means they’re weak. I think it means this industry asks for a kind of emotional stamina that most people never see.
I’ve had a lot of help over the years: medication (which I resisted, but has been a huge help over the last 25 years), counselling, support from people who loved me enough to sit with me through the worst moments. These things helped me rebuild a life that feels stable and good again. Not perfect, but incredibly rewarding. And most of the time, these days, I’m doing really well. But it’s something I always manage. It’s part of me. It shapes the way I lead, the way I build software, and the way I try to show up for others.
The hardest part, when you’re in the middle of it, is believing it will ever get better. It feels permanent. But it isn’t. You climb out slowly, sometimes painfully, but you do climb out. And when you get there, the light feels incredible.
Just because someone else doesn’t understand what you’re experiencing doesn’t make it any less real. Your pain is real. Your experience is real. Your body is telling the truth.
So if you’re dealing with anxiety, burnout, depression, overwhelm – welcome to the club. Not the club nobody wants to join, but the one full of people who understand exactly how hard this can be, and who are rooting for you to find your footing again.
You’re not alone in this. Not even close.
Reach out if you need someone.
We’re here with you, and there is so much good ahead.
- Stephen
