A Note to My Younger Self: My Journey with Mental Health, creating a Life of Simplicity, and Finding Work-Life Balance Once and for All

Dear Kendra,

I wish I could tell you that life gets easier, but that wouldn’t be entirely true. What I can say is that it gets clearer—and that clarity is worth everything.

Smooth river stones partially submerged in gentle, flowing water, creating a serene and calming scene.

You spent years carrying too much: expectations, comparisons, the weight of trying to keep up. You thought balance meant doing everything well, instead of choosing what truly mattered. But here’s the truth—simplicity isn’t about having less; it’s about letting go of what was never yours to carry in the first place.

Your mental health journey won’t be a straight path. Healing is messy, nonlinear, full of moments where you feel like you’re back where you started. But each time, you rise differently, more aware, more intentional, more in tune with what you need.

Work-life balance - It isn’t about perfectly separating work from life; it’s about realizing that life is the priority. That the late nights spent worrying about productivity will never compare to the moments spent truly living. That success isn’t measured by hustle, but by how present you are in the things that bring you peace.

Stay strong, invest in yourself, and strive to be true to yourself. Read more about my journey to mental health and wellbeing at Drifting Towards Simplicity.