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.

Focus50 min

Focus session for portfolio work: 50 minutes, a fan or air conditioner, if you have done this a hundred times

50 minutes of portfolio work, with a fan or air conditioner and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

Tight box breathing: 12 rounds for the commute, when you have been putting it off

The pattern is 4 · 1 · 4 · 1, which is barely any hold, for people who dislike holding.

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Meditation20 min

20-minute guided breathing practice for contentment — after a fight

Slow, spoken guidance for contentment. A breathing session you can do after a fight.

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Meditation10 min

10-minute guided softening practice for the inner critic — on the way in

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 10 minutes of softening for the inner critic, on the way in.

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Focus90 min

Focus session for problem solving: 90 minutes, a washing machine, when you have already had a long week

90 minutes of problem solving, with a washing machine and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

3-6 breathing: 12 rounds for coming down after exercise, if you are sceptical about all of this

The pattern is 3 · 6, which is a gentle two-to-one ratio.

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Meditation5 min

Grounding for panic: 5 minutes, after a horrible day

Slow, spoken guidance for panic. A grounding session you can do after a horrible day.

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Meditation15 min

Physical tension: 15-minute gratitude meditation, before work

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 15 minutes of gratitude for physical tension, before work.

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Focus45 min

45-minute coding session with brown noise and a timer, on a low-energy afternoon

Sit down, press start, and work through the problem for 45 minutes. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.

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Breathing3 min

3-5-7 breathing: 12 rounds for a long illness, when you are cold and want to be warm

3 · 5 · 7 breathing: a staircase down: three, five, seven.

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Meditation10 min

Letting go meditation for loneliness (10 min), when you are overwhelmed

Slow, spoken guidance for loneliness. A letting go session you can do when you are overwhelmed.

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Meditation3 min

Breathing meditation for public speaking fear (3 min), at the weekend

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of breathing for public speaking fear, at the weekend.

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Focus50 min

50-minute practising an instrument session with a library and a timer, when you cannot concentrate on anything else

Sit down, press start, and drill the hard bars for 50 minutes. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.

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Breathing2 min

Physiological sigh exercise for bedtime — when you only have a few minutes

2 · 6 breathing: a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.

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Meditation15 min

Meditation for sleep: 15-minute gratitude session, before bedtime

Slow, spoken guidance for sleep. A gratitude session you can do before bedtime.

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Meditation7 min

Meditation for deadline pressure: 7-minute grounding session, in a five-minute break

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of grounding for deadline pressure, in a five-minute break.

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Focus90 min

90-minute exam revision session with plain quiet and a timer, when you have been on screens all day

Sit down, press start, and test yourself for 90 minutes. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.

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Breathing2 min

Gentle box breathing exercise for travel days — when you want something simple

3 · 3 · 3 · 3 breathing: a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.

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Meditation3 min

3-minute breathing meditation for low energy, on a day off

3 minutes to meet low energy with less of a fight. A breathing practice, on a day off.

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Meditation12 min

Letting go for better sleep: 12 minutes, in the air

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of letting go for better sleep, in the air.

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Focus45 min

A 45-minute block for data work, with forest at dusk, when you have woken up too early

A single 45-minute block for data work — checking as you go.

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Breathing4 min

4-7-8 breathing exercise for jet lag — when you want to finish something

4 · 7 · 8 breathing: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.

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Meditation10 min

10-minute guided softening practice for appreciation — in the morning

10 minutes to meet appreciation with less of a fight. A softening practice, in the morning.

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Meditation20 min

Gratitude meditation for self-criticism (20 min), on a train

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 20 minutes of gratitude for self-criticism, on a train.

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Focus50 min

A 50-minute block for editing, with birds at dawn, when the day has been loud

A single 50-minute block for editing — the boring pass that makes it readable.

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Breathing2 min

How to use 5-7 breathing for heated moments, when you are doing this for the first time

5 · 7 breathing: five in, seven out.

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Meditation15 min

Anxiety: 15-minute self-compassion meditation, at 3pm

15 minutes to meet anxiety with less of a fight. A self-compassion practice, at 3pm.

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Meditation5 min

Physical tension: 5-minute body scan meditation, in the queue

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 5 minutes of body scan for physical tension, in the queue.

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Focus25 min

25-minute focus session for brainstorming with brown noise, after a difficult conversation

25 minutes on brainstorming — quantity before quality. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.

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Breathing2 min

How to use 2-1-4 breathing for a reset, if you are doing this in the middle of the day

A 2 · 1 · 4 rhythm — short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.

Breathe →