It's wild how we convinced ourselves that avoiding hard things is the same as protecting our mental health. Real mental health work is hard. Therapy is hard. Changing your patterns is hard. Facing your shit instead of numbing it is hard. Most people aren't avoiding hard things because they're overwhelmed. They're avoiding them because they got addicted to easy. The algorithm that feeds you exactly what you want. Friends who never challenge you. A routine that requires zero effort. A life that asks nothing of you. You're not burnt out. You're bored. Unchallenged. Stuck in a loop of safe choices that lead to mediocre results. Comfort isn't neutral. It's quicksand. The longer you stay, the harder it is to move. You know what actually protects your mental health? Growth. Challenge. Doing hard things and proving to yourself you can handle them. You don't need more balance. You need more friction. More resistance. More proof that you're capable. Discomfort is your compass. It points toward the person you're capable of becoming.