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.
Slow box breath (5 · 5 · 5 · 5) for a hospital waiting room, when you have been putting it off
5 · 5 · 5 · 5 breathing: a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
Breathe →10-minute guided letting go practice for restlessness at night — before a hard conversation
10 minutes to meet restlessness at night with less of a fight. A letting go practice, before a hard conversation.
Begin →3-minute guided breathing practice for frustration — between meetings
For the times between meetings when frustration takes up more room than you would like — 3 minutes, breathing.
Begin →How to study when you cannot concentrate — where to start, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
Concentration is usually a problem of task size, not willpower. Shrink the task until starting feels almost silly.
Read →An attic room (a sleep story), when you are at home and cannot settle — for waking too early
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 45 minutes of practising an instrument (plain quiet), when you want to finish something
One block of practising an instrument with plain quiet underneath. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →Physiological sigh: 10 rounds for travel days, on a low-energy afternoon
2 · 6 breathing: a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.
Breathe →4-6 breath (4 · 6) for the morning after, if you are sceptical about all of this
4 · 6 breathing: in for four, out for six.
Breathe →The afternoon slump: 15-minute gratitude meditation, after a fight
15 minutes to meet the afternoon slump with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, after a fight.
Begin →Brain fog: 7-minute grounding meditation, on the way in
For the times on the way in when brain fog takes up more room than you would like — 7 minutes, grounding.
Begin →A wind-down that starts before you are tired — the unglamorous version, when you need to stop thinking about work
Waiting until you feel sleepy usually means waiting until midnight. The wind-down is what creates the sleepiness.
Read →Sleep story: a lighthouse at the end of a long day, when you want to be left alone — for the hours after a late shift
One light turning, a kettle, and weather you are on the right side of.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 90 minutes of exam revision (a train carriage), when you are doing this for the first time
One block of exam revision with a train carriage underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Gentle box breathing: 10 rounds for a hot day, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
3 · 3 · 3 · 3 breathing: a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.
Breathe →4-2-6 breathing — 4 · 2 · 6 — for anxious moments, when you are cold and want to be warm
4 · 2 · 6 breathing: a short hold in the middle, a long way out.
Breathe →Body scan meditation for being present (3 min), after a shock
3 minutes to meet being present with less of a fight. A body scan practice, after a shock.
Begin →12-minute letting go meditation for perfectionism, before work
For the times before work when perfectionism takes up more room than you would like — 12 minutes, letting go.
Begin →Waking up anxious for no obvious reason — a plain-language guide, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
Morning anxiety is common and usually chemical rather than psychological. Cortisol rises steeply in the first hour after waking.
Read →A bus at night, if you are doing this in the middle of the day — for a racing mind
Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.
Settle in →25-minute focus block for data work — birds at dawn, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
A timer, a short prep list, and 25 minutes to work through the numbers.
Start the block →4-7-8 breathing exercise for deep focus — when you have been on screens all day
4 · 7 · 8 breathing: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Breathe →Coherent 6-6 breathing — 6 · 6 — for a grey day, when you only have a few minutes
6 · 6 breathing: six and six, the slower end of coherent breathing.
Breathe →Meditation for health anxiety: 7-minute softening session, when you are overwhelmed
A 7-minute softening session for health anxiety, when you are overwhelmed. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →20-minute guided noting practice for jaw tension — after a long day
For the times after a long day when jaw tension takes up more room than you would like — 20 minutes, noting.
Begin →When to be careful with breathing exercises — what nobody tells you, when you need something unremarkable
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Read →A field under snow (a sleep story), if you are fitting this around other people — for a restless night
Everything muffled, everything white, and no tracks but yours.
Settle in →50-minute focus block for editing — white noise, when you need to stop thinking about work
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to cut and tighten.
Start the block →5-7 breathing exercise for a hard week — when you have woken up too early
5 · 7 breathing: five in, seven out.
Breathe →Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing — 2 · 1 · 2 · 1 — for a hot day, when you want something simple
2 · 1 · 2 · 1 breathing: a brisk rhythm for when you need to be awake.
Breathe →Self-compassion for stress: 12 minutes, before bedtime
A 12-minute self-compassion session for stress, before bedtime. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.