https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/25/3-simple-habits-that-will-boost-your-productivity-from-wellness-coach.html#:~:text=Narrow%20your%20priorities,just%20be%20focused.%E2%80%9D
3 simple habits that will boost your productivity, according to wellness coach
If your lengthy to-do list is making you dread going to the office, it’s time to rethink your approach to productivity.
According to Allison Tibbs, a wellness-focused executive coach and the CEO of Nourished Life Coaching & Consulting, improving your productivity in the long term requires “a really good foundation” of positive habits, she says.
“When people are looking at productivity, often we’re just thinking about when we’re at work,” she says. “Things like how you’re starting your day actually have a huge impact.”
All too often, high achievers try to maximize their output by sacrificing sleep and working through breaks, Tibbs says.
“They believe that they have to do late nights, early mornings, skip lunch, and do all these things for the sake of productivity,” she says.
According to Tibbs, that attitude often leads to burnout. In her view, self-care is the key to maintaining your focus and stamina.
Tibbs’ most successful clients are equally serious about work and wellness, she says: “Their performance, their creativity, their leadership, their confidence and their relationships are really impacted by how they take care of themselves.”
These are her best tips on how to build sustainable productivity habits.
Fine-tune your morning routine
If your typical morning involves rolling out of bed and dashing to work, you’re “shooting yourself in the foot” in terms of productivity, Tibbs says.
“Most people rush through their mornings,” she says. “They’ll just down a cup of coffee and go. And it’s like, you haven’t really taken care of yourself.”
Before you start mentally tackling your to-do list, Tibbs recommends taking some time to breathe and center yourself. She starts her day by meditating, doing 15 minutes of yoga and then taking a brisk outdoor walk.
“It’s just a very simple routine that I could do anywhere, and one that’s easily integrated into my life,” she says. “When I sit down at my desk, I feel like I’m ready and mentally, emotionally and physically in a good place.”
According to Tibbs, the ideal morning routine is straightforward and sustainable: “It roots you, it grounds you, and it gives you energy.”
Maintaining consistent habits “opens the floodgates for you to be super productive in the mornings,” she says.
Protect your ‘power hours’
Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, most people reach peak productivity for a few hours each day. Those ‘power hours’ are the best time to concentrate on important work, according to Tibbs.
Tibbs has noticed that she feels sharpest between 10 a.m. and noon, she says, so she makes an effort to block out those hours for high-level work.
“These are the times where you know you can really be focused,” she says. “This is when your brain works the best, and you can really build out your day around that.”
To get the most out of your ‘power hours,’ some prep work is required, Tibbs says.
She recommends eliminating all electronic distractions: “Turn the phone off, no notifications, and one tab open only.”
It’s also helpful to de-clutter your desk and prep any necessities like water, snacks or office supplies, she says.
“You’re creating that moment to be super productive,” Tibbs says. “You have everything that you need readily available, and you can just go for it.”
Narrow your priorities
One of Tibbs’ favorite sayings is “People don’t have a time management problem, they have a priority management problem.”
Her clients often spread themselves too thin by trying to tackle multiple tasks at once, which “burns up their mental energy and takes over their cognitive function,” she says.
Highly productive people know exactly what they should be working on every single day, according to Tibbs.
She encourages professionals to rank their priorities through a “do, delegate, delete” exercise.
“Your ‘do’ tasks are the ones that are going to drive the needle forward, and that’s where you need the most energy, time, and attention,” she says.
All other tasks should be handed off to others or removed from your to-do list altogether.
A common trait among her most successful clients is that they have strong boundaries around their priorities, Tibbs says: “They can confidently move everything that’s not a ‘do’ task off their plate and just be focused.”
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