Stillness Is a Time Management Skill: What a Dog Trainer Taught Me About Productivity

By Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO® | June 18, 2026 |

 

You can watch my video by clicking on the graphic below or read my thoughts beneath it:

 

 

 

I’m on a newsletter list for a dog behaviorist by the name of Dr. Martinez. She runs a company called Loma, L-O-M-A, and this newsletter posed an interesting question: Have you considered teaching your dog how to be still. And I know that a dog should know how to sit, a dog should know how to lie down, but I had never thought about how important it is for a dog to just be still and relax.

And that got me to thinking, if that’s important for a dog, this is a good reminder that it’s also important for us. So many people I work with don’t know what it feels like to just be still. To sit for a minute. To sit and to not fidget. To not reach for a phone.

To not look around at everything that’s going on around them, but just sit and be still. Sometime this week, what I would love for you to do is set a timer for 2 minutes. Put the timer behind you so you’re not looking at it and just close your eyes and be still.

When you are able to experience stillness with comfort, you’ll understand how important it is to experience that on a regular basis. Because when you’re able to slow down, when you’re able to be calm, It helps your brain be far more productive.

If you have a question related to office productivity – about how to be more efficient and effective during your workday – please be sure to drop your questions in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to answer it in one of my next videos / blogs.

 

For more insights on slowing down, improving focus, and managing your time more effectively, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.

 

About Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO®

As The Inefficiency Assassin™, Time Management Fixer Helene Segura empowers professionals on the go with the tools to slay lost time. Personal inefficiency at work leads to increased stress levels, lower morale, higher absenteeism, more turnover – and rising spending on employee health care and hiring. Why not improve productivity, decrease stress levels, and increase profits instead?The author of four books – two of which were Amazon best-sellers – Helene Segura has been the featured organization expert in more than 200 media interviews. She has coached hundreds of clients to productivity success and performance improvement by applying neuroscience and behavioral modification techniques to wipe out destructive, time-wasting habits.Helene turns time management on its head by sharing both client case studies and pop culture examples to teach her mind-bending framework for decreasing interruptions, distractions and procrastination so that companies can spend more time generating revenue.

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