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.
Anticipatory anxiety: 15-minute noting meditation, before an exam
A 15-minute noting session for anticipatory anxiety, before an exam. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Health anxiety: 7-minute softening meditation, at 3am
When health anxiety shows up at 3am, this 7-minute softening session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →What to do when everything is too much — what works and what does not, if you are tired of apps
Overwhelm is not a lack of capacity. It is too many open loops and no order to them. The fix is unglamorous.
Read →A 25-minute block for thesis writing, with a train carriage, when you are on your own
A single 25-minute block for thesis writing — sections, not the whole thing.
Start the block →Tight box breathing: 4 rounds for the morning, after eating too much
4 · 1 · 4 · 1 breathing: barely any hold, for people who dislike holding.
Breathe →Body scan meditation for overwhelm (3 min), before you talk
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of body scan for overwhelm, before you talk.
Begin →12-minute self-compassion meditation for stress, in the office
When stress shows up in the office, this 12-minute self-compassion session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →When the inner voice will not let something go — the two-minute version, if you have done this a hundred times
Self-criticism usually repeats because it is trying to prevent something. Arguing with it does not work. Understanding it sometimes does.
Read →A 45-minute block for design work, with vinyl crackle, if you are fitting this around other people
A single 45-minute block for design work — rough versions first.
Start the block →3-6 breathing: 4 rounds for a study session, if you are tired of apps
A 3 · 6 rhythm — a gentle two-to-one ratio.
Breathe →Meditation for deep work: 7-minute softening session, before a difficult talk
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of softening for deep work, before a difficult talk.
Begin →20-minute guided noting practice for insomnia — on a meeting break
When insomnia shows up on a meeting break, this 20-minute noting session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Working in a noisy place without losing your mind — a realistic guide, when you have already had a long week
You cannot always control the noise. You can control what your attention does with it, and what you put in your ears.
Read →A 90-minute block for decluttering, with white noise, when you have more time than usual
A single 90-minute block for decluttering — one surface at a time.
Start the block →3-5-7 breathing: 4 rounds for a night shift, if you have done this a hundred times
A 3 · 5 · 7 rhythm — a staircase down: three, five, seven.
Breathe →Self-compassion for shame: 12 minutes, after an argument
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of self-compassion for shame, after an argument.
Begin →Body scan for the afternoon slump: 5 minutes, on your commute
When the afternoon slump shows up on your commute, this 5-minute body scan session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →The five minutes after a difficult meeting, for people who have tried everything, on a low-energy afternoon
Back-to-back meetings leave no room to come down. Five deliberate minutes changes the next hour.
Read →25-minute focus session for admin and email with distant thunder, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
25 minutes on admin and email — in one pass, without opening new tabs. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →Physiological sigh exercise for a break at work — when you have already had a long week
A 2 · 6 rhythm — a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.
Breathe →Breathing meditation for restless legs (20 min), when the news hits hard
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 20 minutes of breathing for restless legs, when the news hits hard.
Begin →Letting go meditation for mindfulness (10 min), ahead of a full day
Slow, spoken guidance for mindfulness. A letting go session you can do ahead of a full day.
Begin →What to do when you wake at 3am — the long answer, briefly, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
Waking in the middle of the night is normal. What turns it into an hour of lying awake is the reaction to it.
Read →50-minute focus session for portfolio work with rain on a window, when you have been on screens all day
50 minutes on portfolio work — the last ten percent. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Gentle box breathing exercise for a hospital waiting room — on a low-energy afternoon
A 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 rhythm — a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.
Breathe →Anticipatory anxiety: 5-minute grounding meditation, when you are at your limit
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 5 minutes of grounding for anticipatory anxiety, when you are at your limit.
Begin →Meditation for a racing mind: 15-minute gratitude session, on a Saturday morning
Slow, spoken guidance for a racing mind. A gratitude session you can do on a Saturday morning.
Begin →Preparing for a conversation you are dreading, without the usual nonsense, when you have been on screens all day
Most dread is about the first thirty seconds, not the conversation. Prepare for those and the rest gets easier.
Read →90-minute focus session for problem solving with a fireplace, when you have woken up too early
90 minutes on problem solving — before looking anything up. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →4-7-8 breathing exercise for the morning after — when you cannot concentrate on anything else
A 4 · 7 · 8 rhythm — in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Breathe →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.