Everything, 30 at a time
Every meditation, breathing exercise, sleep story, focus session, guide and essay on SoftlyStill — 6,878 pieces, newest first, 30 to a page.
Meditation for panic: 5-minute breathing session, on the way in
5 minutes to meet panic with less of a fight. A breathing practice, on the way in.
Begin →12-minute guided letting go practice for physical tension — when it all piles up
For the times when it all piles up when physical tension takes up more room than you would like — 12 minutes, letting go.
Begin →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 →Sleep story: the house after everyone is asleep, if you are doing this in the middle of the day — for a restless night
The hour when the house belongs to nobody and nothing needs doing.
Settle in →50-minute focus session for decluttering with a fan or air conditioner, when you have already had a long week
50 minutes on decluttering — one surface at a time. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Coherent 4-4 breathing exercise for deep focus — if you are tired of apps
The pattern is 4 · 4, which is four and four, if five feels like a stretch.
Breathe →Grounding for loneliness: 10 minutes, before work
10 minutes to meet loneliness with less of a fight. A grounding practice, before work.
Begin →Test anxiety: 20-minute gratitude meditation, on a day off
For the times on a day off when test anxiety takes up more room than you would like — 20 minutes, gratitude.
Begin →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 →The night train — a slow story for the end of the day, if you are fitting this around other people — for winding down
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
Settle in →90-minute focus session for admin and email with a washing machine, on a low-energy afternoon
90 minutes on admin and email — in one pass, without opening new tabs. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Box breathing exercise for the hours after people leave — if you have done this a hundred times
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 4 · 4, which is four equal sides, like tracing a square.
Breathe →Letting go meditation for sleep (15 min), after a long day
A 15-minute letting go session for sleep, after a long day. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Breathing meditation for deadline pressure (7 min), in the morning
For the times in the morning when deadline pressure takes up more room than you would like — 7 minutes, breathing.
Begin →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 →A caravan by the sea (a sleep story), after a long day — for a racing mind
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 45 minutes of portfolio work (café murmur), when you cannot concentrate on anything else
One block of portfolio work with café murmur underneath. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →Tight box breathing exercise for a lonely evening — when you have already had a long week
The pattern is 4 · 1 · 4 · 1, which is barely any hold, for people who dislike holding.
Breathe →Morning energy: 3-minute gratitude meditation, on a Sunday
A 3-minute gratitude session for morning energy, on a Sunday. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Meditation for better sleep: 12-minute grounding session, on a lunch break
For the times on a lunch break when better sleep takes up more room than you would like — 12 minutes, grounding.
Begin →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 →Sleep story: an attic room, when you feel fine and want to stay that way — for a restless night
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 50 minutes of problem solving (a library), when you have been on screens all day
One block of problem solving with a library underneath. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →How to use 3-6 breathing for a hard conversation, on a low-energy afternoon
The pattern is 3 · 6, which is a gentle two-to-one ratio.
Breathe →7-minute body scan meditation for appreciation, during a break
A 7-minute body scan session for appreciation, during a break. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Letting go for self-criticism: 20 minutes, in the afternoon slump
For the times in the afternoon slump when self-criticism takes up more room than you would like — 20 minutes, letting go.
Begin →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 →A lighthouse at the end of a long day — a slow story for the end of the day, after eating too much — for winding down
One light turning, a kettle, and weather you are on the right side of.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 90 minutes of coding (plain quiet), when you have woken up too early
One block of coding with plain quiet underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Slow box breathing for physical discomfort, when you want to finish something
5 · 5 · 5 · 5 breathing: a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
Breathe →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.