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.

Meditation7 min

Breathing for the inner critic: 7 minutes, in the queue

For the times in the queue when the inner critic takes up more room than you would like — 7 minutes, breathing.

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Meditation20 min

Deep work: 20-minute letting go meditation, at bedtime

20 minutes to meet deep work with less of a fight. A letting go practice, at bedtime.

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Guide3 min read

Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — a realistic guide, if you are fitting this around other people

By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.

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Sleep12 min

Sleep story: a bus at night, on a low-energy afternoon — for an overtired night

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

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Focus90 min

90-minute focus block for reading — birds at dawn, when you are at home and cannot settle

A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to read properly.

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Breathing2 min

2-1-4 breathing — 2 · 1 · 4 — for a break at work, when you are short on time

A short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose pattern, counted for you on screen.

Breathe →
Meditation12 min

Softening meditation for physical tension (12 min), in the hour before an interview

For the times in the hour before an interview when physical tension takes up more room than you would like — 12 minutes, softening.

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Meditation5 min

Gratitude meditation for shame (5 min), at night

5 minutes to meet shame with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, at night.

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Guide3 min read

Using the commute as a boundary between work and home, for people who have tried everything, when you have more time than usual

The commute is the only transition most people get. Used deliberately, it stops the workday following you into the kitchen.

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Sleep15 min

A field under snow — a slow story for the end of the day, when the house is busy — for jet lag

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

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Focus45 min

Focus session for thesis writing: 45 minutes, brown noise, after eating too much

45 minutes of thesis writing, with brown noise and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

Double-inhale sigh — 3 · 8 — for Sunday evening, on a day that started badly

A two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth pattern, counted for you on screen.

Breathe →
Meditation20 min

Meditation for test anxiety: 20-minute self-compassion session, before public speaking

When test anxiety shows up before public speaking, this 20-minute self-compassion session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Meditation10 min

Meditation for restless legs: 10-minute body scan session, at 3am

10 minutes to meet restless legs with less of a fight. A body scan practice, at 3am.

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Guide3 min read

Ten minutes outside is not a wellness cliché — the long answer, briefly, when you have been putting it off

It is the least fashionable intervention available and one of the most reliable. Here is what it actually does.

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Sleep10 min

A fire dying down, when you are somewhere noisy — 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.

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Focus50 min

Focus session for design work: 50 minutes, a stream, if you are tired of apps

50 minutes of design work, with a stream and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

Beginner box breathing — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — for the morning after, when you are at home and cannot settle

The pattern is 2 · 2 · 2 · 2, which is the easiest version of the square.

Breathe →
Meditation5 min

5-minute noting meditation for burnout, before a conversation you are dreading

When burnout shows up before a conversation you are dreading, this 5-minute noting session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Meditation15 min

Softening for anticipatory anxiety: 15 minutes, between calls

15 minutes to meet anticipatory anxiety with less of a fight. A softening practice, between calls.

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Guide3 min read

When grief arrives out of nowhere — a gentle, practical guide, if you are sceptical about all of this

Grief does not follow a schedule. The waves come less often over time, but they do not stop, and that is not a failure.

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Sleep12 min

Sleep story: a library at closing time, when you only have a few minutes — for waking too early

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

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Focus90 min

Focus session for decluttering: 90 minutes, plain quiet, if you have done this a hundred times

90 minutes of decluttering, with plain quiet and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing3 min

Soft 4-7-8 breathing for anxious moments, when you are cold and want to be warm

The pattern is 4 · 4 · 8, which is the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.

Breathe →
Meditation10 min

10-minute guided body scan practice for better sleep — after a conflict

When better sleep shows up after a conflict, this 10-minute body scan session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Meditation3 min

3-minute guided self-compassion practice for irritability — on the train

3 minutes to meet irritability with less of a fight. A self-compassion practice, on the train.

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Guide3 min read

How to stop scrolling in bed — a calm, practical approach, when you are cold and want to be warm

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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Sleep15 min

A boat at anchor — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are somewhere unfamiliar — for the hours after a late shift

A small harbour, a rope that creaks, and a boat that moves about a metre in the night.

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Focus45 min

45-minute admin and email session with a train carriage and a timer, when you have already had a long week

Sit down, press start, and clear the queue for 45 minutes. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.

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Breathing3 min

7-11 breathing for a grey day, when you only have a few minutes

The pattern is 7 · 11, which is a long, slow ratio for when you have time.

Breathe →