A productivity approach for busy ambitious brains

Why productivity feels harder than it should

Some of the most common complaints I hear in my women’s clinic are centered around “brain fog,” poor focus, and struggling to stay productive. I’ve spent over 10 years helping women determine what wellness means to them and how they can optimise their lifestyle, daily habits, and time management to achieve vibrant and fulfilling lives.

As a healthcare professional running a private practice, seeing patients in the hospital setting, and working in multiple outpatient clinics, I often feel that work hours extend far beyond my scheduled shifts. I continue to practice these productivity techniques every day to reduce distractions, optimise time management, and make a jam-packed schedule feel a bit more manageable.

This method is a proactive way of prioritizing what’s important, setting realistic expectations and scheduling MY day vs. reacting to the demands coming in. Improving productivity is so much more than just finding the next best hack.

What if instead, we focused on identifying behavioural patterns  and recognising the areas where we struggle with motivation, focus, and task initiation? The following is a mix of both my favourite practical tips and some (perhaps unconventional) insights on productivity that I’ve learned along the way while working with clients – just like you and me.

Start with your WHY: What are you optimising for?

Firstly, let’s start with your WHY. Why or what are you optimising for? Why did another article on productivity hacks or time management spark your interest? Knowing your why, in the midst of tedious tasks and busy days, can often be the driving force for enduring motivation.

For example, this could be:

• Revenue growth or career advancement
• More quality time with family and loved ones
• Creating space for hobbies, creativity, or self-care

When you clearly define what you want to achieve through productivity, it becomes easier to structure your time, minimise distractions, and create routines that align with your goals.

Journaling to identify your productivity barriers

When I use this exercise with my clients, we do a little bit of productivity journaling. The gorgeous Make Your Mark journal is perfect for this!

I then have clients start by identifying a specific productivity challenge they’d like to improve upon. I ask her to take notes about this experience over the course of a week and to observe the thoughts or behaviors that come up when it’s time to complete this specific task. Once we know the barriers to productivity, we can then experiment with different strategies to find an individual solution.

The key here is to observe the issue without judgement (no negative self-talk!) and recognise that what works for one person may not be the strategy for everyone else.

A personal example: My email struggle & what I learned

Here’s a personal example: I used to be a “zero-inbox” kind of girl. At the end of the day, every single email was opened, addressed if necessary, filed appropriately, and/or deleted. Check and check!

But as the demands of my career increased, my family grew, and the directions I was being pulled expanded, I just couldn’t keep up. I found myself starting the day with dread and wanting to completely avoid email, text messages, and voicemails, all because it felt like I didn’t have the mental bandwidth or a way to manage it all effectively.

I tried blocking response time in my calendar, using an app to pull all messages into a single place, setting aside an entire day for responding, but ultimately, it came down to accountability.

I found a colleague with a similar struggle, and we now set up time blocks throughout the week to check in at the start of the hour and then again 60 minutes later. Somehow, just knowing my friend is knocking out the same task on her end helps me stay focused and accountable.

This might not be something that works for you, but that’s the point. The dreamy aesthetic routine that your favorite influencer practices is awesome, but it might not be how you specifically operate. When we take the time to find the individual strategy that works for us, we often learn even more about ourselves along the way.

The science behind productivity: Cognitive bandwidth & energy management

Now on to the practical tips! Productivity is not about – getting more things done for the sake of being productive. It’s about identifying the priorities to action first and then managing energy levels so you can tackle the secondary tasks.

Research-backed studies show that when we wake in the morning, we only have a limited amount of cognitive bandwidth. While this can be optimised with quality sleep, regular exercise, and proper nutrition, there are also daily habits that drain mental energy. Each time we doom scroll, constantly check emails, or switch between browser tabs for online shopping, we disrupt our deep focus, and our ability to reset diminishes gradually.

Improve your focus and productivity by working in shorter, high-quality focus sessions. Commit to five peak-performance hours where you complete your non-negotiable priorities. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you protect your deep work time and eliminate unnecessary distractions.

Like many, I am a strong advocate for time blocking. Time blocking is the practice of structuring your day strategically and allocating dedicated time slots for specific tasks, activities, and responsibilities based on your natural productivity rhythms.

Each morning, identify your top three high-priority tasks that absolutely must be completed.

The power of time blocking for managing priorities

Categorize tasks as either “important” or “urgent”  (or can be pushed to tomorrow) to prioritise tasks effectively and schedule them appropriately. High-priority but non-urgent tasks should be time-blocked first making sure they don’t get overlooked.

I love using color to visually see the separation in time blocks and it helps me stay on task. I also keep a running list of smaller, less complicated tasks. When I find 15 minutes between appointments I can reference these little task “pebbles” and quickly cross off one or two. Super satisfying!

Block off chunks of time for focused work on your most critical priorities. I love the Work for It Day Organizer to identify priorities and keep tasks organised with space for to-do-lists.

For instance, schedule dedicated time slots for meetings, high-priority work, appointments, movement (exercise!), and personal development.

Whenever I am assigned a larger task (e.g., a public speaking event), I don’t just add it to my to-do list; instead, I:

✔ Estimate the time required

✔ Immediately time-block the preparation in my calendar (e.g., three 40-minute blocks)

✔ Drop notes, ideas, and links into the first time block for a jumpstart

✔ Disable notifications and limit social media use to avoid distractions

✔ Schedule strategic breaks within time blocks to maintain focus and prevent burnout

Flexibility is also key. Always allow buffer time between tasks in case some require more time than expected.

Structuring your day for success: The “Done Before One” strategy

I’ve also adopted the “Done Before One” strategy, where all high-priority tasks are completed before 1 PM. Then, after 1 PM, I become “reply guy” and tackle admin tasks for the remainder of the day, replying to emails, returning phone calls, scheduling appointments, and paying bills, anything that doesn’t require deep focus or high cognitive effort.

Lastly, about that email management issue. To avoid information overload, all industry news, work-related articles, and research reports get automatically filtered into a dedicated folder so they don’t overwhelm my inbox. I batch-read emails and resources three times per week in a 30-minute deep reading session scheduled into my calendar. I usually do this while taking a coffee break and getting some sunshine on my skin.

Final thoughts: Productivity is personal

1. Observe the issue, acknowledge your thoughts, and experiment to find YOUR best productivity solution.
2. Success leaves clues. What’s your why? Identify your motivation, build accountability, and create a structured plan. (Reduce cognitive load by leaning on external systems, productivity frameworks, and structured habits.)
3. Maintain a consistent health and wellness routine. Ingrained habits like quality sleep, proper hydration, daily movement, and energy management support productivity.
4. Follow a structured weekly routine to eliminate decision fatigue and simplify your workflow. (It might not be “aesthetic” or Instagram-worthy, but it will improve efficiency.)
5. The best productivity system is the one that works for YOU. Your approach may look different from someone else’s, and that’s OK.

Lauren Prasek is an integrative psychiatry expert, women’s wellness educator, and board-certified nurse practitioner. She runs a women’s clinic, SoCal Wellness Med Group, in San Diego, California, helping high-achieving women with busy, ambitious minds find clarity and wellness through precision medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle practices. Passionate about mental health, productivity, and holistic well-being, she empowers women to optimise their routines and make informed choices for a balanced life. Connect with her on Instagram at @L.C.np or visit www.SoCalWellnessmedgroup.com