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.
Meditation for waking at 3am: 3-minute body scan session, at the airport
Slow, spoken guidance for waking at 3am. A body scan session you can do at the airport.
Begin →12-minute guided self-compassion practice for frustration — on the way out of work
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of self-compassion for frustration, on the way out of work.
Begin →A morning routine that survives a bad night — the version that fits a real week, after eating too much
Most morning routines are designed for people who slept well. Here is a version that works on four hours.
Read →Sleep story: a kitchen late at night, before you go back to something hard — for jet lag
One small light on, a cooling cup of tea, and the rest of the house dark.
Settle in →A 50-minute block for decluttering, with distant traffic, on a day that started badly
A single 50-minute block for decluttering — one surface at a time.
Start the block →How to use Soft 4-7-8 breathing for the morning, when nothing else has worked today
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 8, which is the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Breathe →Softening for exhaustion: 7 minutes, on a train journey
7 minutes to meet exhaustion with less of a fight. A softening practice, on a train journey.
Begin →Brain fog: 20-minute noting meditation, during the evening wind-down
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 20 minutes of noting for brain fog, during the evening wind-down.
Begin →Why anxiety shows up in your body first, when you only have a few minutes
Racing heart, tight chest, churning stomach. Understanding the mechanism makes the symptoms less frightening.
Read →A lake before dawn — a slow story for the end of the day, on a low-energy afternoon — for a night when you do not want to think
Flat water, no wind, and light that has not arrived yet.
Settle in →25-minute focus session for admin and email with forest at dusk, if you are sceptical about all of this
25 minutes on admin and email — in one pass, without opening new tabs. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →How to use 7-11 breathing for a study session, when you are on your own
The pattern is 7 · 11, which is a long, slow ratio for when you have time.
Breathe →Gratitude meditation for being present (12 min), in a waiting room
12 minutes to meet being present with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, in a waiting room.
Begin →Body scan meditation for guilt (5 min), before bed
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 5 minutes of body scan for guilt, before bed.
Begin →Tired eyes after a long day of screens — a practical guide, when you want something simple
Eye strain is mostly about distance and blinking, not about blue light glasses.
Read →The house after everyone is asleep (a sleep story), when you are on your own — for waking too early
The hour when the house belongs to nobody and nothing needs doing.
Settle in →45-minute focus session for portfolio work with a washing machine, when you are cold and want to be warm
45 minutes on portfolio work — the last ten percent. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →How to use Coherent 5-5 breathing for a night shift, if you are fitting this around other people
The pattern is 5 · 5, which is five seconds in, five seconds out — about six breaths a minute.
Breathe →Meditation for social anxiety: 20-minute breathing session, on exam day
20 minutes to meet social anxiety with less of a fight. A breathing practice, on exam day.
Begin →Meditation for back pain and tension: 10-minute letting go session, late at night
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 10 minutes of letting go for back pain and tension, late at night.
Begin →Why your weekend does not feel like rest — the short version, when you want to finish something
Rest is not the absence of work. If the weekend is full of decisions and obligations, it does not restore anything.
Read →Sleep story: the night train, when you are somewhere noisy — for the hours after a late shift
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
Settle in →90-minute focus session for problem solving with brown noise, when you only have a few minutes
90 minutes on problem solving — before looking anything up. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →6-2-6-2 breath (6 · 2 · 6 · 2) for a break at work, when you have more time than usual
The pattern is 6 · 2 · 6 · 2, which is even and rhythmic, with brief holds on both sides.
Breathe →5-minute grounding meditation for work stress, before a presentation
5 minutes to meet work stress with less of a fight. A grounding practice, before a presentation.
Begin →Gratitude for overthinking: 15 minutes, beside your desk
For the times beside your desk when overthinking takes up more room than you would like — 15 minutes, gratitude.
Begin →How to get through the first hour without your phone, in the order that helps, when you are doing this for the first time
The first hour sets the tone for attention all day. You do not need willpower — you need the phone to be somewhere else.
Read →A caravan by the sea — a slow story for the end of the day, when you only have a few minutes — 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 →Deep work timer: 25 minutes of coding (a stream), when you want something simple
One block of coding with a stream underneath. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →3-5-7 breathing: 10 rounds for the middle of the night, when you have already had a long week
3 · 5 · 7 breathing: a staircase down: three, five, seven.
Breathe →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.