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.
90-minute focus block for editing — rain on a window, when you are doing this for the first time
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to cut and tighten.
Start the block →3-5-7 breathing: 12 rounds for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
A a staircase down: three, five, seven pattern, counted for you on screen.
Breathe →20-minute guided gratitude practice for brain fog — on a plane
Slow, spoken guidance for brain fog. A gratitude session you can do on a plane.
Begin →10-minute guided grounding practice for falling asleep — after work
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 10 minutes of grounding for falling asleep, after work.
Begin →How to study when you cannot concentrate — a short read, when you need something unremarkable
Concentration is usually a problem of task size, not willpower. Shrink the task until starting feels almost silly.
Read →Sleep story: a garden in the rain, when you are doing this for the first time — for waking too early
Steady rain on leaves, and a chair under an awning that stays dry.
Settle in →Focus session for brainstorming: 25 minutes, a train carriage, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
25 minutes of brainstorming, with a train carriage and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Physiological sigh exercise for the middle of the night — when you have been on screens all day
The pattern is 2 · 6, which is a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.
Breathe →Breathing for guilt: 5 minutes, on the road
Slow, spoken guidance for guilt. A breathing session you can do on the road.
Begin →Low energy: 15-minute letting go meditation, in the evening
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 15 minutes of letting go for low energy, in the evening.
Begin →A wind-down that starts before you are tired — the long answer, briefly, after a difficult conversation
Waiting until you feel sleepy usually means waiting until midnight. The wind-down is what creates the sleepiness.
Read →A kitchen late at night — a slow story for the end of the day, if you have done this a hundred times — for the hours after a late shift
One small light on, a cooling cup of tea, and the rest of the house dark.
Settle in →Focus session for research: 45 minutes, vinyl crackle, when you need to stop thinking about work
45 minutes of research, with vinyl crackle and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Gentle box breathing exercise for a grey day — when you have woken up too early
The pattern is 3 · 3 · 3 · 3, which is a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.
Breathe →Softening meditation for back pain and tension (10 min), before an appointment
10 minutes to meet back pain and tension with less of a fight. A softening practice, before an appointment.
Begin →Noting meditation for appreciation (3 min), in the hour before sleep
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of noting for appreciation, in the hour before sleep.
Begin →Waking up anxious for no obvious reason — a gentle, practical guide, when you are somewhere noisy
Morning anxiety is common and usually chemical rather than psychological. Cortisol rises steeply in the first hour after waking.
Read →A lake before dawn (a sleep story), when you have been meaning to start — for a racing mind
Flat water, no wind, and light that has not arrived yet.
Settle in →Focus session for applications and forms: 90 minutes, white noise, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
90 minutes of applications and forms, with white noise and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →4-7-8 breathing exercise for a hot day — when the day has been loud
The pattern is 4 · 7 · 8, which is in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Breathe →Meditation for overthinking: 15-minute self-compassion session, before an exam
15 minutes to meet overthinking with less of a fight. A self-compassion practice, before an exam.
Begin →Meditation for panic: 7-minute body scan session, at 3am
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of body scan for panic, at 3am.
Begin →When to be careful with breathing exercises — a calm, practical approach, after a long day
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Read →Sleep story: the house after everyone is asleep, when the day has been loud — for a restless night
The hour when the house belongs to nobody and nothing needs doing.
Settle in →25-minute planning session with distant thunder and a timer, when you need something unremarkable
Sit down, press start, and decide what happens when for 25 minutes. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →How to use 5-7 breathing for deep focus, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
The pattern is 5 · 7, which is five in, seven out.
Breathe →3-minute noting meditation for anger, before you talk
3 minutes to meet anger with less of a fight. A noting practice, before you talk.
Begin →Softening for loneliness: 12 minutes, in the office
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of softening for loneliness, in the office.
Begin →Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding, in plain terms, when you are waiting for something
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, if you are sceptical about all of this — for winding down
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
Settle in →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.