May is Mental Health Awareness month, and unfortunately the overall mental health of sales professionals is in a bad spot. 

According to the 2024 State of Mental Health in Sales Report, 70% of sellers rate their mental health as fair or poor, up from 43% in 2020 during COVID. 

For most of my sales career, I silently struggled with my mental health. 

I was a high functioning addict, and relied on a variety of addictions to temporarily escape from the constant stress and pressure of sales. 

In 2020, after nearly losing my family, I joined a 12 step recovery program, found a great therapist, got a sponsor, and committed to going to 90 meetings in 90 days. 

I stopped getting drunk, smoking pot, taking adderall, watching porn, gambling, and using addictive apps. 

I’ve been sober for over four years, and it’s the best thing I ever did for my family, my mental health, and my career. 

So how did I do it? 

First and most importantly, I got help and prioritized my recovery above all else, including my sales. 

If I didn’t change, I would lose everything.

Losing my family mattered way more than losing a deal or missing quota. 

Change occurs when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing. 

After going cold turkey on so many addictions, I was forced to sit with myself without having any “escape hatches.” 

This was extremely uncomfortable at first. 

I had to learn healthy coping tools to replace the unhealthy, compulsive addictions which I previously turned to. 

Slowly but surely, I learned many tools which I still use to this day when I am struggling.

These tools include exercise, gratitude, prayer, breathwork, meditation, walks, sunshine, cold showers, affirmations, Stoicism, and journaling. 

I am also intentional about having fun with my family, planning adventures and new experiences that appeal to the “addict” within me. 

Because an addictive personality doesn’t go away, and always craves variety and excitement. 

But one thing that I’ve come to realize is there are times when I feel down for no particular reason, even when things appear to be going well. 

These mental slumps can come on any given day. 

They are part of life, just like the seasons. 

Winter comes, and you can’t avoid it. 

But after winter comes spring. 

It’s often the same for our emotions and feelings. 

Negative feelings can pass on their own, without you having to do anything about them. 

But you have to let them pass naturally.  

If you hold onto and ruminate in your negative feelings for too long, you might prolong your own mental winter and prevent spring from arising naturally within you. 

Sometimes the best way to get out of a dark place is simply to get through it. 

This too shall pass. 

Let go and let God. 

-Ian

PS – If you are struggling with mental health, I’m not advocating to do nothing. Please get the help you need! 

But if you are feeling down for no particular reason, it just might be the season and will likely pass. At least that’s been my experience living in sobriety. 

Sometimes we don’t need to “fix” everything within us, because we aren’t broken. 

We are humans doing our best with what we have. 

Some days are better than others. 

Here’s a video I made which I hope will brighten your day as we welcome in the flowers of Spring: https://youtu.be/rUFqR3MpGkE