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.
Uneven box breathing: 10 rounds for the morning after, after eating too much
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →Self-compassion for the inner critic: 3 minutes, at midday
Slow, spoken guidance for the inner critic. A self-compassion session you can do at midday.
Begin →Waking up: 10-minute body scan meditation, before an appointment
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 10 minutes of body scan for waking up, before an appointment.
Begin →Do you actually need eight glasses of water — where to start, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
Eight glasses is a number with no particular evidence behind it. Thirst and urine colour are better guides.
Read →A field under snow, when you have tried everything else — for jet lag
Everything muffled, everything white, and no tracks but yours.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 45 minutes of portfolio work (distant traffic), when you have already had a long week
One block of portfolio work with distant traffic underneath. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →Double-inhale sigh (3 · 8) for jet lag, when you are at home and cannot settle
Simple counts — 3 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →4-8 breathing exercise for anxious moments — if you are tired of apps
Simple counts — 4 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →Breathing meditation for tight shoulders and neck (7 min), in the mid-afternoon
Slow, spoken guidance for tight shoulders and neck. A breathing session you can do in the mid-afternoon.
Begin →15-minute softening meditation for feeling not good enough, before an interview
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 15 minutes of softening for feeling not good enough, before an interview.
Begin →Breathing exercises that help during panic — the unglamorous version, when you have been on screens all day
Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.
Read →A fire dying down (a sleep story), if you have done this a hundred times — for a night when you do not want to think
The last hour of a fire, when it stops being a fire and becomes warmth.
Settle in →Deep work timer: 90 minutes of problem solving (forest at dusk), on a low-energy afternoon
One block of problem solving with forest at dusk underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Beginner box breathing — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — for deep focus, after eating too much
Simple counts — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →5-2-7 breathing exercise for a grey day — if you have done this a hundred times
Simple counts — 5 · 2 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
Breathe →Meditation for public speaking fear: 12-minute grounding session, in the evening
Slow, spoken guidance for public speaking fear. A grounding session you can do in the evening.
Begin →Meditation for restless legs: 3-minute gratitude session, on exam day
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of gratitude for restless legs, on exam day.
Begin →A morning routine that survives a bad night — a plain-language guide, when you have woken up too early
Most morning routines are designed for people who slept well. Here is a version that works on four hours.
Read →A library at closing time — a slow story for the end of the day, when you have been meaning to start — for waking too early
The last hour, when the lights go down row by row.
Settle in →25-minute focus block for coding — birds at dawn, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
A timer, a short prep list, and 25 minutes to work through the problem.
Start the block →Soft 4-7-8 breathing — 4 · 4 · 8 — for a hard week, if you are tired of apps
A the hold cut short, the long exhale kept pattern, counted for you on screen.
Breathe →Letting go for deadline pressure: 20 minutes, in the hour before sleep
20 minutes to meet deadline pressure with less of a fight. A letting go practice, in the hour before sleep.
Begin →Breathing for grief: 7 minutes, before a difficult talk
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of breathing for grief, before a difficult talk.
Begin →Why anxiety shows up in your body first — what nobody tells you, when the day has been loud
Racing heart, tight chest, churning stomach. Understanding the mechanism makes the symptoms less frightening.
Read →A boat at anchor, when you need something unremarkable — for the hours after a late shift
A small harbour, a rope that creaks, and a boat that moves about a metre in the night.
Settle in →50-minute focus block for practising an instrument — brown noise, when you have been on screens all day
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to drill the hard bars.
Start the block →7-11 breathing — 7 · 11 — for days when everything is too much, if you have done this a hundred times
A a long, slow ratio for when you have time pattern, counted for you on screen.
Breathe →5-minute guided gratitude practice for better sleep — at night
5 minutes to meet better sleep with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, at night.
Begin →Grounding meditation for overwhelm (12 min), after an argument
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of grounding for overwhelm, after an argument.
Begin →Tired eyes after a long day of screens — the basics, done properly, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
Eye strain is mostly about distance and blinking, not about blue light glasses.
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