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.
An attic room (a sleep story), if you have done this a hundred times — for an overtired night
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 90 minutes of design work (vinyl crackle), on a day that started badly
One block of design work with vinyl crackle underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Beginner box breathing: 8 rounds for Sunday evening, when you are somewhere unfamiliar
The pattern is 2 · 2 · 2 · 2, which is the easiest version of the square.
Breathe →3-minute grounding meditation for sadness, in the evening
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of grounding for sadness, in the evening.
Begin →Gratitude for social anxiety: 10 minutes, before you talk
Slow, spoken guidance for social anxiety. A gratitude session you can do before you talk.
Begin →When grief arrives out of nowhere — a plain-language guide, when you have been putting it off
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 →Sleep story: a lighthouse at the end of a long day, when you have been meaning to start — for jet lag
One light turning, a kettle, and weather you are on the right side of.
Settle in →45-minute focus block for decluttering — white noise, when you are at home and cannot settle
A timer, a short prep list, and 45 minutes to move things out.
Start the block →Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 8 rounds for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you feel restless rather than tired
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 8, which is the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Breathe →7-minute guided letting go practice for agitation — in the hour before sleep
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of letting go for agitation, in the hour before sleep.
Begin →Breathing meditation for burnout (15 min), before a difficult talk
Slow, spoken guidance for burnout. A breathing session you can do before a difficult talk.
Begin →How to stop scrolling in bed — what nobody tells you, if you are sceptical about all of this
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 — a slow story for the end of the day, when the day has been loud — 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 →50-minute focus block for admin and email — distant thunder, after eating too much
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to clear the queue.
Start the block →7-11 breathing exercise for the middle of the night — when nothing else has worked today
The pattern is 7 · 11, which is a long, slow ratio for when you have time.
Breathe →Waking up: 12-minute gratitude meditation, at night
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of gratitude for waking up, at night.
Begin →Waking at 3am: 3-minute grounding meditation, after an argument
Slow, spoken guidance for waking at 3am. A grounding session you can do after an argument.
Begin →What to do when everything is too much — the basics, done properly, when you are cold and want to be warm
Overwhelm is not a lack of capacity. It is too many open loops and no order to them. The fix is unglamorous.
Read →A field under snow (a sleep story), if you are sceptical about all of this — for waking too early
Everything muffled, everything white, and no tracks but yours.
Settle in →Focus session for portfolio work: 25 minutes, rain on a window, if you are tired of apps
25 minutes of portfolio work, with rain on a window and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Coherent 5-5 breathing exercise for travel days — when you are on your own
The pattern is 5 · 5, which is five seconds in, five seconds out — about six breaths a minute.
Breathe →20-minute breathing meditation for gratitude, in the middle of the night
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 20 minutes of breathing for gratitude, in the middle of the night.
Begin →7-minute letting go meditation for exhaustion, when the news hits hard
Slow, spoken guidance for exhaustion. A letting go session you can do when the news hits hard.
Begin →When the inner voice will not let something go — a short read, when you only have a few minutes
Self-criticism usually repeats because it is trying to prevent something. Arguing with it does not work. Understanding it sometimes does.
Read →Sleep story: a fire dying down, when you are not sure this will work — for the hours after a late shift
The last hour of a fire, when it stops being a fire and becomes warmth.
Settle in →Focus session for problem solving: 45 minutes, a fireplace, if you have done this a hundred times
45 minutes of problem solving, with a fireplace and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →6-2-6-2 breathing exercise for jet lag — if you are fitting this around other people
The pattern is 6 · 2 · 6 · 2, which is even and rhythmic, with brief holds on both sides.
Breathe →Meditation for tired eyes: 5-minute softening session, beside your desk
For the times beside your desk when tired eyes takes up more room than you would like — 5 minutes, softening.
Begin →12-minute guided noting practice for being present — after a horrible day
Slow, spoken guidance for being present. A noting session you can do after a horrible day.
Begin →Working in a noisy place without losing your mind, without the usual nonsense, when you want something simple
You cannot always control the noise. You can control what your attention does with it, and what you put in your ears.
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