Nostos Nest

04/02/2026

This realisation didn’t come with shame.
It came with clarity.

When we stop seeing behaviours as personal failures and start seeing them as information, different choices become possible.

Read the full post here: https://nostosnest.com/2026/02/why-i-drank-the-way-i-did/

03/02/2026

In case you missed it – or if you’re new here – this is what Nostos Nest is about.

I share what I wish I’d understood earlier about burnout, mental health, workplace culture, and finding your way back to yourself.

I’ve lived through burnout, felt dismissed and misunderstood, and spent a long time thinking I just wasn’t coping well enough. That experience shapes everything I write and share.

Nostos Nest is a weekly blog.

Here, I also share short videos – burnout prevention tips, mental health check-ins, and reflections on work, midlife, and the messy, meaningful in-between.

This space tends to resonate with people who are tired, thoughtful, and carrying more than they let on.

If that sounds familiar, please follow along 🤗

03/02/2026

If this resonates, you’re not broken – and you’re not alone.

For many people, alcohol becomes a way to quiet a nervous system that’s been carrying too much for too long. It works for a while. Until it doesn’t.

I’ve written more about this pattern and what sits underneath it in my latest post.

Read it here 👉 https://nostosnest.com/2026/02/why-i-drank-the-way-i-did/

02/02/2026

Burnout doesn’t always announce itself clearly.
And let's be honest, sometimes someone else naming it gives us the support and the nudge that we need.

For me, the turning point came when my doctor named what was happening as burnout-induced depression.

So my burnout prevention tip this week is to have a good relationship with your doctor.

That led to a mental health plan, medical certificates, regular check-ins, and the support I needed to take a proper break.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or quietly pushing through stress, you’re not failing. You may just need the right support around you.

02/02/2026

I wasn’t an everyday drinker, but once I started, stopping was hard. This is the story of why I drank the way I did, and how burnout helped me finally understand it.

https://nostosnest.com/2026/02/why-i-drank-the-way-i-did/

A personal reflection on why I drank the way I did, how burnout shaped my relationship with alcohol, and what finally made stopping feel possible.

01/02/2026

Some people don’t drink every day – but once they start, stopping feels surprisingly hard.

For many, alcohol offers relief from pressure and over-control. A break from constantly holding things together, even when the drinking doesn’t look extreme from the outside.

If you drink to relieve stress and sometimes struggle to stop once you start, it may not be about discipline. It may be about coping, nervous system patterns, and burnout.

I’ve written a vulnerable post about this and why understanding why we drink is more helpful than judging ourselves for it.

👉 Why I Drank the Way I Did: Understanding My Missing Off Switch
Read the full post here: https://nostosnest.com/2026/02/why-i-drank-the-way-i-did/

31/01/2026

Here's a snippet from the podcast I was on recently about navigating the complexities of burnout.
-----------------------
In this episode of Mistakes Were Made, Michelle Stalimeros joins me for an honest, grounded conversation about mental health, burnout, identity, leadership, and recovery. Michelle shares her personal experience of long-term burnout after a high-pressure corporate career, what it actually looked like, how it was diagnosed, and what helped her rebuild her life and boundaries on the other side.

This is a practical, human conversation for leaders and high performers who want to do meaningful work without burning themselves or their teams out.
-----------------------

You can watch the full podcast on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkZdA9i39MY

29/01/2026

Weekly mental health check-in.

Green if you’re feeling good.
Amber if you’re struggling a little.
Red if you’re struggling a lot.

Or think of it like a battery – how charged is your mental health right now?

I’m about 60% today – Amber.
How about you?

Burnout, stress, and mental health don’t always look obvious. Checking in still counts.

28/01/2026

As we get older, our relationship with social connection often changes – but we rarely talk about it openly.

Wanting less social interaction doesn’t automatically mean loneliness or withdrawal. For many people, it reflects changing priorities, energy, and emotional needs.

I’ve shared my reflections on this shift, and why it’s often a normal part of midlife.

👉 Read the full post here:
https://nostosnest.com/2025/12/wanting-less-social-connection-as-you-get-older/

Does this resonate?

27/01/2026

Most managers want better team culture.
They just don’t know where to start, and don't have enough time to figure it out.

I spent years as a mental health advocate inside a global organisation, working on initiatives to connect remote teams and build healthier workplace cultures.

Along the way, I gathered hundreds of simple ideas that worked in real teams, not just in theory.

That’s why I created The Team Culture Playbook – a practical guide with over 250 ideas to help teams build trust, connection, and psychological safety.

No big programs or big budgets.
Just ideas you can use in your existing team meetings.

Get it here: https://nostosnest.com/product/the-team-culture-playbook/

27/01/2026

Have you noticed your social needs changing as you get older?

Many of us reach midlife and realise we don’t want the same level of social connection we once did – and then feel guilty or confused about it.

I’ve written about this shift, why it happens, and how to tell the difference between isolation and intentional quiet.

👉 You can read the full post here:
https://nostosnest.com/2025/12/wanting-less-social-connection-as-you-get-older/

Does this resonate?

27/01/2026

🎙️ New podcast episode

I recently joined Carlo on the Mistakes Were Made podcast for a thoughtful conversation about burnout and mental health.

We talked about what burnout actually looks like, how it builds over time, and how leaders and humans can support each other in a way that’s grounded, compassionate, and free from blame or shame.

If you’re navigating burnout yourself, or supporting someone else who might be struggling, this conversation may resonate.

🎧 Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkZdA9i39MY

In this conversation, Carlo and Michelle delve into the critical topics of mental health, burnout, and the importance of supportive leadership. Michelle shar...