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.

Meditation15 min

15-minute guided letting go practice for a mindful pause — at the weekend

15 minutes to meet a mindful pause with less of a fight. A letting go practice, at the weekend.

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Guide3 min read

When to be careful with breathing exercises — a short, honest guide, on a low-energy afternoon

Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.

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Focus25 min

25-minute focus block for coding — a fireplace, if you are sceptical about all of this

A timer, a short prep list, and 25 minutes to work through the problem.

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Breathing2 min

Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for jet lag, after eating too much

Rounds of 2 · 1 · 2 · 1, with the counting done for you.

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Meditation10 min

Grounding for sadness: 10 minutes, on a slow Sunday

For the times on a slow Sunday when sadness takes up more room than you would like — 10 minutes, grounding.

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Meditation3 min

Gratitude for social anxiety: 3 minutes, at the airport

3 minutes to meet social anxiety with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, at the airport.

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Guide3 min read

Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — a straightforward guide, when you cannot concentrate on anything else

By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.

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Focus45 min

45-minute focus block for practising an instrument — vinyl crackle, when you are cold and want to be warm

A timer, a short prep list, and 45 minutes to drill the hard bars.

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Breathing2 min

Uneven box breathing: 6 rounds for deep focus, if you are tired of apps

Rounds of 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, with the counting done for you.

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Meditation20 min

Letting go meditation for agitation (20 min), first thing

For the times first thing when agitation takes up more room than you would like — 20 minutes, letting go.

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Meditation7 min

Breathing meditation for burnout (7 min), on a train journey

7 minutes to meet burnout with less of a fight. A breathing practice, on a train journey.

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Guide3 min read

Using the commute as a boundary between work and home, when you need to stop thinking about work

The commute is the only transition most people get. Used deliberately, it stops the workday following you into the kitchen.

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Focus90 min

90-minute focus block for exam revision — a fan or air conditioner, when you only have a few minutes

A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to test yourself.

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Breathing2 min

4-8 breathing: 6 rounds for a hard week, if you have done this a hundred times

Rounds of 4 · 8, with the counting done for you.

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Meditation5 min

Waking up: 5-minute gratitude meditation, at lunch

When waking up shows up at lunch, this 5-minute gratitude session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Meditation12 min

Meditation for waking at 3am: 12-minute grounding session, in a waiting room

12 minutes to meet waking at 3am with less of a fight. A grounding practice, in a waiting room.

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Guide3 min read

Ten minutes outside is not a wellness cliché — a practical guide, if you are doing this instead of scrolling

It is the least fashionable intervention available and one of the most reliable. Here is what it actually does.

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Focus25 min

Focus session for data work: 25 minutes, distant thunder, when you want something simple

25 minutes of data work, with distant thunder and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

5-2-7 breathing: 6 rounds for days when everything is too much, when you have already had a long week

Rounds of 5 · 2 · 7, with the counting done for you.

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Meditation10 min

10-minute breathing meditation for gratitude, at 3pm

When gratitude shows up at 3pm, this 10-minute breathing session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Meditation20 min

Letting go for exhaustion: 20 minutes, on the morning of an interview

20 minutes to meet exhaustion with less of a fight. A letting go practice, on the morning of an interview.

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Guide3 min read

When grief arrives out of nowhere — the short version, when you need something unremarkable

Grief does not follow a schedule. The waves come less often over time, but they do not stop, and that is not a failure.

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Focus50 min

Focus session for editing: 50 minutes, café murmur, when you want to finish something

50 minutes of editing, with café murmur and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

Coherent 4-4 breathing exercise for a long wait — on a low-energy afternoon

Rounds of 4 · 4, with the counting done for you.

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Meditation15 min

15-minute guided softening practice for tired eyes — at the end of the workday

When tired eyes shows up at the end of the workday, this 15-minute softening session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Meditation5 min

5-minute guided noting practice for being present — in the hour before an exam

5 minutes to meet being present with less of a fight. A noting practice, in the hour before an exam.

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Guide3 min read

How to stop scrolling in bed, in the order that helps, after a difficult conversation

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.

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Focus90 min

Focus session for brainstorming: 90 minutes, a fireplace, when you are doing this for the first time

90 minutes of brainstorming, with a fireplace and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

Box breathing exercise for a big decision — when you cannot concentrate on anything else

Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 — and a circle that keeps time.

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Meditation3 min

Self-compassion for grief: 3 minutes, before bed

When grief shows up before bed, this 3-minute self-compassion session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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