One month after her split from Chase Stokes, Kelsea Ballerini is opening up about the routines and relationships helping her prioritize mental health. On October 28, the 32-year-old singer posted a reflective Instagram carousel that doubles as a wellness check-in, offering fans a grounded look at life post-breakup — and the tools she’s leaning on to feel better.
The post, a mix of stage snapshots and quiet at-home moments, underscores Ballerini’s ongoing commitment to transparency around mental health while keeping the details of her private life largely off the table. It’s a candid, carefully framed update that invites conversation without inviting scrutiny.
Inside Ballerini’s Post-Breakup Check-In
Ballerini’s carousel captures a week-in-the-life vibe: a sweet onstage interaction with a fan, a pumpkin-decorating hang with friends, a mirror selfie featuring a face mask, a park picnic with her dog Dibs, and a restorative nap on a white couch. The small details read like a self-care itinerary, rooted in routine as much as community.
She framed the collection with an unvarnished caption: “Brought to you by hot dogs, porch painting, bed by 9pm, friendship, parks, Kenny Chesney, and lexapro.” It’s cheeky and specific, a snapshot of the real-world anchors that can make turbulent weeks feel navigable.
The mention of Lexapro — a prescription antidepressant commonly used to treat major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, according to Cleveland Clinic — is consistent with Ballerini’s history of de-stigmatizing mental health treatment. She didn’t disclose a diagnosis, nor did she expand on her medication, but the acknowledgment alone adds to an ongoing, intentional openness about care and coping.
Openness About Therapy And Healing
Ballerini has spent years normalizing conversations about mental health, crediting therapy with helping her navigate difficult chapters. She has previously discussed working through an eating disorder as a teenager and coping with PTSD after witnessing a school shooting at age 14 — experiences that have informed her advocacy as much as her artistry.
“It’s been a game changer,” she told People in April, speaking about therapy’s impact. “There is still a stigma around talking about certain things, and the way that you take that stigma away is you create conversation.” Her latest post extends that ethos: keep it honest, keep it human, and keep it moving.
By sharing a light-but-real wellness check — equal parts porch paint and pumpkin carving — Ballerini models a version of recovery that’s approachable and non-performative. It’s not a grand declaration; it’s a series of ordinary choices that add up to balance, broadcast to fans who’ve followed her evolution in both life and music.
Where Things Stand With Chase Stokes
While Ballerini’s mental health updates are transparent, she’s maintained privacy around her breakup. She and Outer Banks star Chase Stokes, who dated for nearly three years, parted ways in September 2025. Shortly after the news surfaced, Ballerini took to TikTok with a brief message aimed at tamping down speculation, posting a video set to Ariana Grande’s “Shut Up” and captioning it: “CC: speculators, ‘sources’, and hidden cameras outside the hair salon. Let us be. please.”
The couple first sparked romance rumors in January 2023 when Stokes shared a cozy snapshot from the Georgia vs. TCU game at SoFi Stadium. After a few months of playful teases in interviews and social posts, they took their relationship public on the red carpet at the CMT Awards in April 2023, becoming a fan-favorite pairing across music and TV circles.
Since the split, Ballerini’s social media presence has shifted toward gratitude and grounding — career highlights punctuated by low-stakes, real-life rituals. The October 28 carousel fits squarely in that pattern: a nod to connection (friends and fans), routine (early nights and porch projects), and comfort (park days with Dibs) that together suggest momentum without oversharing.
It’s a balance that feels intentional. The post acknowledges what Ballerini is ready to make public — the habits and support systems that help — and draws a line around what she’s not: the specifics of the breakup or the state of any future relationships. In doing so, it reframes the narrative away from gossip and back toward health, music, and community.
For fans, the update reads as both an invitation and a boundary. The invitation is to talk openly about mental health — to de-stigmatize therapy and, when appropriate, medication — and to find solace in the small, sustained acts of care that make hard weeks easier. The boundary is clear too: personal life remains personal, even for a star willing to share the real work of healing.
As Ballerini continues touring and releasing music, posts like this one serve as a compass for how she intends to move forward: with candor, with care, and with an eye toward turning tough seasons into something generative. It’s a message that resonates far beyond one Instagram carousel, and one more sign that she’s writing her own playbook for life after a public breakup.
