Work and Wellness

Summary
In this conversation, Angela Davies discusses the importance of managing energy rather than just time in the workplace. She emphasises that while time is a fixed resource, energy can expand and contract, affecting productivity and decision-making.
Angela identifies common energy leaks such as rumination, comparison, and context switching, and offers practical strategies for managing energy effectively. By focusing on energy management, individuals can enhance their performance, reduce burnout, and create a more fulfilling work-life balance.

Takeaways
We often focus on managing time instead of energy.
Energy can expand and contract, unlike time.
High performers may push harder when they feel low on energy.
Rumination and comparison are significant energy drains.
Context switching reduces cognitive focus and increases fatigue.
Managing energy leads to better decision-making and communication.
Physical movement can help discharge stress and regain focus.
Identifying cognitive peak windows can optimise productivity.
Regulating before reacting can conserve energy during meetings.
Awareness of energy levels can improve work-life balance.

Keywords
energy management, time management, productivity, cognitive load, burnout, high performance, energy leaks, decision making, work-life balance, self-regulation

As we wrap the Year of the Snake, this episode feels like the perfect reset.
I’m joined by Hillary McVeigh—former lawyer turned Human Design teacher and intuitive guide—for a grounded conversation about what happens when your life looks “successful” on paper, but your body is screaming no.
Hillary shares her journey from burnout, panic attacks, and a workplace that slowly drained her life force… to rebuilding a career that feels aligned, sustainable, and deeply fulfilling. We unpack the difference between clarity and certainty, why burnout isn’t always about workload, and how Human Design can act as a practical framework for self-awareness, decision making, and working in a way that actually suits your energy.
If you’re at a turning point—career-wise or just internally—this one will land.
Why so many of us choose careers at 17/18 with zero intuition in the room

The hidden signs of misalignment: dread, anxiety, loss of joy, and “the colour leaving your life”

Burnout as a misalignment signal, not a personal failure

The role of conditioning: people-pleasing, overachieving, proving yourself, and external validation

How Hillary began “deconditioning” (awareness, somatic work, inner child + shadow work)

Why rest can feel terrifying—and why it’s often the turning point

The mindset shift: rest as a success strategy, not a weakness

The difference between your intuition and your inner critic (this is gold)

A simple body-based check-in: expansion vs constriction

Why you don’t need more certainty—you need more self-trust

A practical Human Design overview: the energy types and how they influence work and direction

The closing message for anyone in a transition: let life mirror what you’re ready to see

“Burnout isn’t always from overwork. It’s often from working out of alignment.”

“Your intuition won’t attack your insecurities. It’s just a clean ‘no’—not available.”

“Clarity isn’t certainty. If you wait for certainty, you’ll wait forever.”

“Your subconscious only cares if you’re safe—your life force wants you thriving.”

If you’re ending the year feeling tired, foggy, flat, or like you’ve outgrown the way you’ve been working—consider this your permission slip to stop forcing it.
Repost note (Year of the Snake context):
This is a beautiful listen for anyone ready to shed old identities, stop proving, and move into a new season with more self-trust, nervous system regulation, and alignment.
In this episode, we cover:Key takeaways / quotable moments:If this resonates:

Change at work isn’t new — but the pace and volume of change is leaving a lot of capable, high-performing people feeling exhausted.
In this episode, Angela unpacks why constant change creates such a heavy mental load, even when we’re adaptable, smart, and capable. She explains what change actually does to our nervous system, why “just pushing through” eventually backfires, and how people end up busy but disconnected.
This isn’t about resisting change or pretending it’s fine. It’s about responding in a way that protects your energy, clarity, and capacity — whether you’re leading the change or on the receiving end of it.
You’ll learn:
Why constant change creates decision fatigue, irritability, and disengagement

How to shift your focus to what’s actually in your control

Practical ways to stay grounded during periods of uncertainty

How leaders can support teams through change without having all the answers

What to watch for when you (or your team) slip below the line — and how to come back above it

If work feels unsettled, noisy, or overwhelming right now, this episode offers calm, practical guidance to help you lead yourself well — so you can respond to change, rather than be consumed by it.

Your Attention Isn’t Yours Anymore — A Big Tech Insider Explains Why (and How to Get It Back)
What if the reason you feel distracted, overwhelmed, and mentally exhausted isn’t a lack of discipline — but the systems you’re using every day?
In this episode, I’m joined by Kenneth Schlenker, former Google product leader and founder of Opal, the screen-time app helping millions of people reclaim their focus.
After years working inside Google on products like Maps, YouTube and Ads, Kenneth saw firsthand how Big Tech uses behavioural science to capture — and monetise — human attention. He walked away to build the opposite: tools that put people back in control of their focus, time and mental wellbeing.
We explore how social media subtly rewires our desires (including how I briefly became convinced I needed a $50k Birkin bag 🙃), why attention — not time — is the real currency, and how constant information overload is quietly fuelling burnout.
This is a candid, grounded conversation about technology, mental health, shame, parenting, sleep, and what it really takes to use modern tools without letting them use us.
• What Big Tech really optimises for — and why wellbeing isn’t part of the business model
• How platforms use behavioural science (infinite scroll, autoplay, likes) to keep us hooked
• Why attention matters more than time — and how it shapes who we become
• The “Birkin effect”: how social media influences what we think we want
• Why we often feel worse after scrolling (especially women)
• The link between information overload, sleep disruption and burnout
• Why willpower alone isn’t enough — and why tools and friction actually help
• How shame keeps people stuck in unhealthy tech habits
• Social media bans for kids: do they help, or push behaviour underground?
• Why sleep is the most important boundary for both adults and teenagers
• How Opal is evolving from a tool into a trusted wellbeing partner
You’re not weak for struggling with your phone.
These systems were designed by very smart people to be hard to put down.
The goal isn’t to quit technology — it’s to use it intentionally, in service of the life you actually want to live.

In this episode, Angela unpacks three powerful work and wellness trends set to shape the workforce in 2026 — inspired by a recent Forbes article that signals a meaningful shift in how organisations think about performance.
While AI continues to accelerate, this conversation brings the focus back to the human system behind the work. Angela explores why wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have,” and how energy, recovery, connection and capacity are becoming critical drivers of decision-making, performance and longevity at work.
Why analog work is making a comeback
Face-to-face connection, offline thinking and human creativity are becoming the new luxury in an always-on world. Angela shares why digital tools can support work — but never replace real connection.

How longer lives are reshaping careers
With people living and working longer, Angela explores portfolio careers, multi-generational teams, mentoring models and how organisations can better harness decades of experience without burning people out.

The rise of biometric data in the workday
From wearables to readiness scores, we look at how data on sleep, recovery and energy could help leaders make smarter decisions, structure work more intelligently and prevent burnout before it happens.

This episode is a hopeful look at the future of work — one where performance improves not by pushing harder, but by working in better alignment with human limits.
Angela also shares why she’s encouraged to see major business publications finally treating wellbeing as a core business strategy, not a perk.

Link to Forbes Article- 4 Growing Wellness Themes That Will Shape The Workforce In 2026