All guides
The complete list of guides on SoftlyStill — 420 pieces, newest first, 30 to a page.
When to be careful with breathing exercises — the short version, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Read →Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding, in the order that helps, when you need to stop thinking about work
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Read →Using the commute as a boundary between work and home — where to start, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
The commute is the only transition most people get. Used deliberately, it stops the workday following you into the kitchen.
Read →Ten minutes outside is not a wellness cliché — the unglamorous version, when you need something unremarkable
It is the least fashionable intervention available and one of the most reliable. Here is what it actually does.
Read →When grief arrives out of nowhere — a plain-language guide, after a difficult conversation
Grief does not follow a schedule. The waves come less often over time, but they do not stop, and that is not a failure.
Read →How to stop scrolling in bed — what nobody tells you, when you are somewhere noisy
The phone is not the problem. The fact that it is within reach and there is nothing else to do is the problem. Here is what actually helps.
Read →What to do when everything is too much — the basics, done properly, after a long day
Overwhelm is not a lack of capacity. It is too many open loops and no order to them. The fix is unglamorous.
Read →When the inner voice will not let something go — a short read, when you are waiting for something
Self-criticism usually repeats because it is trying to prevent something. Arguing with it does not work. Understanding it sometimes does.
Read →Working in a noisy place without losing your mind — the long answer, briefly, when you are too tired to try hard
You cannot always control the noise. You can control what your attention does with it, and what you put in your ears.
Read →The five minutes after a difficult meeting — a gentle, practical guide, when you are not sure this will work
Back-to-back meetings leave no room to come down. Five deliberate minutes changes the next hour.
Read →What to do when you wake at 3am — a calm, practical approach, when you are not in the mood
Waking in the middle of the night is normal. What turns it into an hour of lying awake is the reaction to it.
Read →Preparing for a conversation you are dreading, in plain terms, when you are somewhere unfamiliar
Most dread is about the first thirty seconds, not the conversation. Prepare for those and the rest gets easier.
Read →When to drink coffee so it does not ruin your sleep — the essentials, when you feel restless rather than tired
Caffeine has a long tail. The cup at 3pm is still in your system at 9pm, whether you feel it or not.
Read →Using your body to come down after something stressful — what to expect, when nothing else has worked today
After a stress response, the body is left with fuel it did not use. Some of the recovery is physical, not mental.
Read →Do you actually need eight glasses of water — the version that fits a real week, when you are on your own
Eight glasses is a number with no particular evidence behind it. Thirst and urine colour are better guides.
Read →Breathing exercises that help during panic — what actually helps, when you have already had a long week
Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.
Read →A morning routine that survives a bad night, without the usual advice, on a low-energy afternoon
Most morning routines are designed for people who slept well. Here is a version that works on four hours.
Read →Why anxiety shows up in your body first — what to try first, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
Racing heart, tight chest, churning stomach. Understanding the mechanism makes the symptoms less frightening.
Read →Tired eyes after a long day of screens, in the order that helps, when you have been on screens all day
Eye strain is mostly about distance and blinking, not about blue light glasses.
Read →Why your weekend does not feel like rest — where to start, when you have woken up too early
Rest is not the absence of work. If the weekend is full of decisions and obligations, it does not restore anything.
Read →How to get through the first hour without your phone — the unglamorous version, when the day has been loud
The first hour sets the tone for attention all day. You do not need willpower — you need the phone to be somewhere else.
Read →How to study when you cannot concentrate — a plain-language guide, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
Concentration is usually a problem of task size, not willpower. Shrink the task until starting feels almost silly.
Read →A wind-down that starts before you are tired — what nobody tells you, if you have five quiet minutes
Waiting until you feel sleepy usually means waiting until midnight. The wind-down is what creates the sleepiness.
Read →Waking up anxious for no obvious reason — the basics, done properly, when you have tried everything else
Morning anxiety is common and usually chemical rather than psychological. Cortisol rises steeply in the first hour after waking.
Read →When to be careful with breathing exercises — a short read, when you have just finished work
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Read →Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding, without the usual nonsense, before you go back to something hard
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Read →Using the commute as a boundary between work and home — the version for a bad week, when you want to be left alone
The commute is the only transition most people get. Used deliberately, it stops the workday following you into the kitchen.
Read →Ten minutes outside is not a wellness cliché — explained without jargon, if you are new to this
It is the least fashionable intervention available and one of the most reliable. Here is what it actually does.
Read →When grief arrives out of nowhere, in plain terms, when your attention is scattered
Grief does not follow a schedule. The waves come less often over time, but they do not stop, and that is not a failure.
Read →How to stop scrolling in bed — the essentials, when you have been meaning to start
The phone is not the problem. The fact that it is within reach and there is nothing else to do is the problem. Here is what actually helps.
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