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.
Self-compassion for sadness: 7 minutes, after a fight
7 minutes to meet sadness with less of a fight. A self-compassion practice, after a fight.
Begin →Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — what to expect, when you have already had a long week
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Read →The night train — a slow story for the end of the day, when the day has been loud — for a racing mind
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
Settle in →A 45-minute block for admin and email, with a stream, if you are sceptical about all of this
A single 45-minute block for admin and email — in one pass, without opening new tabs.
Start the block →Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for a lonely evening, if you are sceptical about all of this
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →5-minute guided softening practice for concentration — when you wake at 3am
For the times when you wake at 3am when concentration takes up more room than you would like — 5 minutes, softening.
Begin →Noting meditation for agitation (12 min), after a shock
12 minutes to meet agitation with less of a fight. A noting practice, after a shock.
Begin →Using the commute as a boundary between work and home — the version that fits a real week, on a low-energy afternoon
The commute is the only transition most people get. Used deliberately, it stops the workday following you into the kitchen.
Read →A caravan by the sea, when you are at home and cannot settle — for waking too early
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
Settle in →A 50-minute block for portfolio work, with plain quiet, when you are cold and want to be warm
A single 50-minute block for portfolio work — the last ten percent.
Start the block →4-8 breathing — 4 · 8 — for a hard conversation, when you are cold and want to be warm
Simple counts — 4 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →Self-doubt: 10-minute self-compassion meditation, at your desk
When self-doubt shows up at your desk, this 10-minute self-compassion session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Meditation for morning energy: 20-minute body scan session, after a bad day
20 minutes to meet morning energy with less of a fight. A body scan practice, after a bad day.
Begin →Ten minutes outside is not a wellness cliché, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
It is the least fashionable intervention available and one of the most reliable. Here is what it actually does.
Read →An attic room (a sleep story), when you are not sure this will work — for the hours after a late shift
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →25-minute focus session for problem solving with a train carriage, when the day has been loud
25 minutes on problem solving — before looking anything up. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →5-2-7 breathing — 5 · 2 · 7 — for a big decision, when you only have a few minutes
Simple counts — 5 · 2 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →15-minute breathing meditation for jaw tension, between calls
When jaw tension shows up between calls, this 15-minute breathing session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →5-minute softening meditation for gratitude, when it all piles up
5 minutes to meet gratitude with less of a fight. A softening practice, when it all piles up.
Begin →When grief arrives out of nowhere — a practical guide, when you need to stop thinking about work
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 →A lighthouse at the end of a long day — a slow story for the end of the day, if you are doing this in the middle of the day — for a racing mind
One light turning, a kettle, and weather you are on the right side of.
Settle in →45-minute focus session for coding with vinyl crackle, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
45 minutes on coding — one function at a time, not the whole system. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →Coherent 4-4 breathing — 4 · 4 — for Friday evening, when you want something simple
A four and four, if five feels like a stretch pattern, counted for you on screen.
Breathe →Meditation for fear of flying: 3-minute grounding session, before work
When fear of flying shows up before work, this 3-minute grounding session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →10-minute guided gratitude practice for tired eyes — as sleep prep
10 minutes to meet tired eyes with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, as sleep prep.
Begin →How to stop scrolling in bed — the short version, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
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 →A bus at night, if you are fitting this around other people — for a restless night
Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.
Settle in →90-minute focus session for practising an instrument with white noise, if you have five quiet minutes
90 minutes on practising an instrument — slowly, with the metronome. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Box breathing for a ten-minute window, if you have five quiet minutes
A four equal sides, like tracing a square pattern, counted for you on screen.
Breathe →Letting go for financial stress: 7 minutes, after a long day
When financial stress shows up after a long day, this 7-minute letting go session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.