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.
Sleep story: a lake before dawn, when you are not in the mood — for a night when you do not want to think
Flat water, no wind, and light that has not arrived yet.
Settle in →A 45-minute block for brainstorming, with distant traffic, when the day has been loud
A single 45-minute block for brainstorming — quantity before quality.
Start the block →Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for Friday evening, when you want something simple
A 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 rhythm — a square with one long side.
Breathe →Grief: 20-minute breathing meditation, on a train journey
For the times on a train journey when grief takes up more room than you would like — 20 minutes, breathing.
Begin →Health anxiety: 10-minute letting go meditation, in the evening
10 minutes to meet health anxiety with less of a fight. A letting go practice, in the evening.
Begin →Do you actually need eight glasses of water — the version that fits a real week, when you need something unremarkable
Eight glasses is a number with no particular evidence behind it. Thirst and urine colour are better guides.
Read →The house after everyone is asleep, when you need to stop thinking about work — for waking too early
The hour when the house belongs to nobody and nothing needs doing.
Settle in →A 90-minute block for research, with forest at dusk, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
A single 90-minute block for research — with a note file open beside you.
Start the block →4-8 breathing — 4 · 8 — for physical discomfort, when you want to finish something
A 4 · 8 rhythm — in for four, out for eight.
Breathe →Grounding meditation for overwhelm (5 min), in a waiting room
When overwhelm shows up in a waiting room, this 5-minute grounding session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →15-minute gratitude meditation for stress, before bed
15 minutes to meet stress with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, before bed.
Begin →Breathing exercises that help during panic — what actually helps, when your attention is scattered
Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.
Read →The night train (a sleep story), on a low-energy afternoon — for the hours after a late shift
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
Settle in →25-minute focus session for applications and forms with a washing machine, when you are somewhere noisy
25 minutes on applications and forms — dull but finite. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →5-2-7 breathing — 5 · 2 · 7 — for exam nerves, when you are doing this for the first time
A 5 · 2 · 7 rhythm — five, a brief hold, then seven out.
Breathe →Meditation for deep work: 10-minute letting go session, on the morning of an interview
When deep work shows up on the morning of an interview, this 10-minute letting go session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Meditation for restlessness at night: 3-minute breathing session, at night
3 minutes to meet restlessness at night with less of a fight. A breathing practice, at night.
Begin →A morning routine that survives a bad night, without the usual advice, when you have been meaning to start
Most morning routines are designed for people who slept well. Here is a version that works on four hours.
Read →Sleep story: a caravan by the sea, when the house is busy — for a night when you do not want to think
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
Settle in →50-minute focus session for planning with brown noise, after a long day
50 minutes on planning — on paper, so you can see it. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Coherent 4-4 breathing for the morning, when you have just finished work
A 4 · 4 rhythm — four and four, if five feels like a stretch.
Breathe →Gratitude for shame: 15 minutes, in the hour before an exam
When shame shows up in the hour before an exam, this 15-minute gratitude session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Grounding for the afternoon slump: 7 minutes, when you wake at 3am
7 minutes to meet the afternoon slump with less of a fight. A grounding practice, when you wake at 3am.
Begin →Why anxiety shows up in your body first — what to try first, before something difficult
Racing heart, tight chest, churning stomach. Understanding the mechanism makes the symptoms less frightening.
Read →An attic room, if you have five quiet minutes — for waking too early
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →90-minute focus session for writing with a stream, when you are waiting for something
90 minutes on writing — the first draft, not the good version. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Box breathing for coming down after exercise, before you go back to something hard
A 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 rhythm — four equal sides, like tracing a square.
Breathe →3-minute guided body scan practice for restless legs — before public speaking
When restless legs shows up before public speaking, this 3-minute body scan session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Self-compassion meditation for mindfulness (12 min), at your desk
A 12-minute self-compassion session for mindfulness, at your desk. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →The Breath: Your Anchor in the Storm
Discover how the simple act of breathing can steady your mind and body.
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