Hi, I’m Chantelle - a former Occupational Therapist, recovering overachiever, and someone who’s learnt (the hard way) that you can’t out-hustle your own nervous system.

I spent years in the NHS, sprinting between impossible caseloads, systemic pressures and a to-do list that grew a lot faster than my salary. In 2018, I hit burnout for the first time - quietly, professionally, and with an impressive amount of guilt to show for it. Each year it returned, lasting a little longer every time. By 2021, I finally admitted it was time to leave the NHS.

In 2022, my stepdad had a stroke, followed by my mum developing sepsis and a pulmonary embolism in 2023. I could no longer carry the heaviness of a caseload, so I moved into a remote, non-clinical role to support them. It felt like failure at first - the kind of career detour that shame loves to narrate. But eventually I realised the problem wasn’t me; it was the culture that equated worth with output.

Now, I’m exploring what it really means to work smarter, not harder, and sharing the science that shows hustle culture isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (spoiler: there’s little evidence it makes anyone richer or happier).

Not Here to Hustle is the result. It’s a rebellion against burnout, backed by behavioural science and fuelled by the belief that productivity shouldn’t come at the cost of being human.

Disclaimer: I hold an MSc in Psychology and Occupational Therapy and a Postgraduate Diploma in Sensory Integration. What I share here is based on personal experience and research - not medical advice. Please speak with your healthcare team for individual support.