Kirsten Balin on Why Health Doesn't Always Feel Good: Rethinking Wellness and Illness

Family nurse practitioner Kirsten Balin challenges the common belief that health should feel effortless, arguing that we often mistake normal life challenges for illness. In her opinion piece, Balin explains that discomfort, stress, and hardship are part of the human experience, not necessarily signs of poor health. She emphasizes that the pursuit of constant well-being can lead to unnecessary anxiety and medicalization of everyday struggles. By distinguishing between genuine illness and the natural difficulties of living, Balin encourages a more balanced view of health—one that accepts life's ups and downs without pathologizing them. Her perspective is especially relevant in an era of wellness culture and self-optimization, where people may feel pressure to feel good all the time. Balin's insights matter because they invite readers to reconsider what it means to be healthy and to find peace with the inherent imperfections of life. Ultimately, she suggests that true health includes resilience, not the absence of hardship.