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.

Breathing2 min

How to use 3-5-7 breathing for a big decision, when you cannot concentrate on anything else

3 · 5 · 7 breathing: a staircase down: three, five, seven.

Breathe →
Meditation12 min

12-minute guided softening practice for anxiety — on a train

A 12-minute softening session for anxiety, on a train. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation5 min

5-minute guided noting practice for a mindful pause — after work

When a mindful pause shows up after work, this 5-minute noting session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min 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.

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Sleep20 min

A bus at night (a sleep story), if you are new to this — for an overtired night

Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.

Settle in →
Focus45 min

45-minute focus block for practising an instrument — forest at dusk, when the day has been loud

A timer, a short prep list, and 45 minutes to drill the hard bars.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

4-6 breathing for exam nerves, when you are doing this for the first time

4 · 6 breathing: in for four, out for six.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

How to use Physiological sigh for Friday evening, when you have been on screens all day

2 · 6 breathing: a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.

Breathe →
Meditation20 min

Sadness: 20-minute self-compassion meditation, in the queue

A 20-minute self-compassion session for sadness, in the queue. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation10 min

Test anxiety: 10-minute body scan meditation, at bedtime

When test anxiety shows up at bedtime, this 10-minute body scan session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min 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.

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Sleep10 min

Sleep story: a field under snow, when you need to stop thinking about work — for jet lag

Everything muffled, everything white, and no tracks but yours.

Settle in →
Focus50 min

50-minute focus block for exam revision — birds at dawn, when you feel fine and want to stay that way

A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to test yourself.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

4-2-6 breathing: 6 rounds for the morning, if you are doing this in the middle of the day

4 · 2 · 6 breathing: a short hold in the middle, a long way out.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

Gentle box breath (3 · 3 · 3 · 3) for a ten-minute window, when you have woken up too early

3 · 3 · 3 · 3 breathing: a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.

Breathe →
Meditation5 min

Noting meditation for agitation (5 min), in the hour before an interview

A 5-minute noting session for agitation, in the hour before an interview. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation15 min

15-minute softening meditation for burnout, late at night

When burnout shows up late at night, this 15-minute softening session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min 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.

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Sleep12 min

A fire dying down — a slow story for the end of the day, when you have more time than usual — for a night when you do not want to think

The last hour of a fire, when it stops being a fire and becomes warmth.

Settle in →
Focus25 min

Focus session for data work: 25 minutes, brown noise, if you have five quiet minutes

25 minutes of data work, with brown noise and a note on what to do when you drift.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

Coherent 6-6 breathing: 6 rounds for a study session, when you need to stop thinking about work

6 · 6 breathing: six and six, the slower end of coherent breathing.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

4-7-8 breath (4 · 7 · 8) for the early months, when the day has been loud

4 · 7 · 8 breathing: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.

Breathe →
Meditation10 min

Meditation for morning energy: 10-minute body scan session, before an exam

A 10-minute body scan session for morning energy, before an exam. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation3 min

Meditation for waking at 3am: 3-minute self-compassion session, at 3am

When waking at 3am shows up at 3am, this 3-minute self-compassion session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min 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.

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Sleep20 min

A library at closing time (a sleep story), when you are waiting for something — for waking too early

The last hour, when the lights go down row by row.

Settle in →
Focus45 min

Focus session for editing: 45 minutes, a stream, when you have tried everything else

45 minutes of editing, with a stream and a note on what to do when you drift.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing: 6 rounds for a night shift, if you are doing this instead of scrolling

2 · 1 · 2 · 1 breathing: a brisk rhythm for when you need to be awake.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

5-7 breathing — 5 · 7 — for the commute, when you feel fine and want to stay that way

5 · 7 breathing: five in, seven out.

Breathe →
Meditation15 min

Softening for gratitude: 15 minutes, before you talk

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 15 minutes of softening for gratitude, before you talk.

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