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.
Grounding meditation for financial stress (3 min), at midday
3 minutes to meet financial stress with less of a fight. A grounding practice, at midday.
Begin →10-minute gratitude meditation for grief, before an appointment
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 10 minutes of gratitude for grief, before an appointment.
Begin →Waking up anxious for no obvious reason — where to start, if you have five quiet minutes
Morning anxiety is common and usually chemical rather than psychological. Cortisol rises steeply in the first hour after waking.
Read →An attic room, before you go back to something hard — for an overtired night
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 45 minutes of data work (a train carriage), when you have woken up too early
One block of data work with a train carriage underneath. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →Coherent 6-6 breathing exercise for being unwell — if you are sceptical about all of this
6 · 6 breathing: six and six, the slower end of coherent breathing.
Breathe →4-7-8 breathing for physical discomfort, when you only have a few minutes
4 · 7 · 8 breathing: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Breathe →Meditation for focus: 7-minute letting go session, in the mid-afternoon
7 minutes to meet focus with less of a fight. A letting go practice, in the mid-afternoon.
Begin →15-minute guided breathing practice for agitation — before an interview
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 15 minutes of breathing for agitation, before an interview.
Begin →When to be careful with breathing exercises — the unglamorous version, when you have tried everything else
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Read →A lighthouse at the end of a long day (a sleep story), on a low-energy afternoon — for jet lag
One light turning, a kettle, and weather you are on the right side of.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 50 minutes of editing (vinyl crackle), when the day has been loud
One block of editing with vinyl crackle underneath. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →How to use Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for a ten-minute window, when you are cold and want to be warm
2 · 1 · 2 · 1 breathing: a brisk rhythm for when you need to be awake.
Breathe →5-7 breathing for exam nerves, when you want something simple
5 · 7 breathing: five in, seven out.
Breathe →Gratitude for the inner critic: 12 minutes, on the way out of work
12 minutes to meet the inner critic with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, on the way out of work.
Begin →Grounding for waking up: 3 minutes, on exam day
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of grounding for waking up, on exam day.
Begin →Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — a plain-language guide, when you have just finished work
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Read →Sleep story: a bus at night, when you are on your own — for a night when you do not want to think
Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.
Settle in →25-minute focus block for brainstorming — white noise, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
A timer, a short prep list, and 25 minutes to generate options.
Start the block →How to use Uneven box breathing for a night shift, when you only have a few minutes
A 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 rhythm — a square with one long side.
Breathe →2-1-4 breathing: 4 rounds for the morning, when you want to finish something
A 2 · 1 · 4 rhythm — short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.
Breathe →Body scan meditation for tight shoulders and neck (20 min), in the evening
20 minutes to meet tight shoulders and neck with less of a fight. A body scan practice, in the evening.
Begin →Letting go meditation for feeling not good enough (7 min), before a presentation
For the times before a presentation when feeling not good enough takes up more room than you would like — 7 minutes, letting go.
Begin →Using the commute as a boundary between work and home — the two-minute version, before you go back to something hard
The commute is the only transition most people get. Used deliberately, it stops the workday following you into the kitchen.
Read →A field under snow, when you are somewhere noisy — for waking too early
Everything muffled, everything white, and no tracks but yours.
Settle in →45-minute focus block for research — distant thunder, if you have five quiet minutes
A timer, a short prep list, and 45 minutes to follow one thread.
Start the block →4-8 breath (4 · 8) for a break at work, when you want something simple
A 4 · 8 rhythm — in for four, out for eight.
Breathe →Double-inhale sigh: 4 rounds for a study session, when you are doing this for the first time
A 3 · 8 rhythm — two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth.
Breathe →Public speaking fear: 5-minute softening meditation, late at night
5 minutes to meet public speaking fear with less of a fight. A softening practice, late at night.
Begin →Meditation for restless legs: 12-minute noting session, before a hard conversation
For the times before a hard conversation when restless legs takes up more room than you would like — 12 minutes, noting.
Begin →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.