What if success wasn’t about fitting into hustle culture, but about shaping your life around your energy, values, and needs?
In this conversation, I’m joined by Annie Hoogendoorn, Lifestyle Design Coach and founder of Bloem, who supports highly sensitive and neurodivergent high achievers to transition out of draining careers and into rhythms that truly honor their energy, purpose, and well-being.
Annie’s story is one of courage and reinvention — from the creative hustle of Amsterdam, to the fast-paced corporate tech world in Portland, to the deep burnout that finally led her to slow down, listen inward, and reimagine how life could feel. Today, she helps others do the same: decondition from hustle culture, reconnect with the body’s wisdom, and design lives that feel not just successful, but truly sustainable.
Together, we explore:
🌿 Why “deconditioning” is the first step toward an aligned life
🌿 How to reconnect with your intuition and body’s guidance when it feels foreign
🌿 The unique challenges highly sensitive and neurodivergent high achievers face in work and business
🌿 How to create systems and structures that support your energy instead of draining it
🌿 The hidden cost of productivity culture — and what becomes possible when you uncouple self-worth from constant achievement
🌿 Gentle, practical practices Annie uses to reconnect with herself on difficult days
Annie’s perspective is both deeply compassionate and practical, reminding us that reconnection isn’t about perfection — it’s about softening, creating space, and returning to ourselves, over and over again.
Practical Steps to Try
✅ Time blocks with intention: Schedule work in 60–90 minute chunks, followed by short breaks for movement, breath, or rest.
✅ Energy mapping: Notice when your focus and creativity are highest during the day, and align your most demanding tasks with those windows.
✅ Build restorative rituals: Pair your work with small nourishing practices — a walk, yin yoga, or mindful tea — so that energy is replenished, not depleted.
✅ Simplify your systems: Use a daily check-in to name your top 1–2 priorities instead of scattering energy across endless to-dos.
Journal Prompts for Reflection
🖊️ What systems or routines in my life currently drain me more than they support me?
🖊️ When during the day do I feel most alive, creative, or focused? How can I honor that?
🖊️ What belief ties my sense of worth to productivity — and is it really true?
🖊️ If I trusted my body as my guide, what one change would I make in how I structure my day?
Resources & Links
✨ Learn more about Annie’s work here
✨ Download her free Life Audit Workbook here
✨ Connect with Annie on Instagram
✨ FREE GUIDE - Feel Better in 2 Minutes or Less
✨ Let’s keep the conversation going on Instagram
