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.
Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing exercise for being unwell — before you go back to something hard
The pattern is 2 · 1 · 2 · 1, which is a brisk rhythm for when you need to be awake.
Breathe →Self-compassion for fatigue: 5 minutes, on the morning of an interview
5 minutes to meet fatigue with less of a fight. A self-compassion practice, on the morning of an interview.
Begin →Concentration: 15-minute body scan meditation, late at night
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 15 minutes of body scan for concentration, late at night.
Begin →A fire dying down (a sleep story), when you only have a few minutes — for jet lag
The last hour of a fire, when it stops being a fire and becomes warmth.
Settle in →50-minute focus block for writing — rain on a window, when your attention is scattered
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to get words down.
Start the block →2-1-4 breathing for the commute, when you are waiting for something
The pattern is 2 · 1 · 4, which is short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.
Breathe →How to use Uneven box breathing for a study session, when you want to be left alone
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, which is a square with one long side.
Breathe →Breathing meditation for mindfulness (10 min), in the hour before an exam
10 minutes to meet mindfulness with less of a fight. A breathing practice, in the hour before an exam.
Begin →Softening meditation for self-doubt (3 min), when you wake at 3am
For the times when you wake at 3am when self-doubt takes up more room than you would like — 3 minutes, softening.
Begin →Using the commute as a boundary between work and home — the version that fits a real week, when you have been meaning to start
The commute is the only transition most people get. Used deliberately, it stops the workday following you into the kitchen.
Read →90-minute focus block for language practice — a train carriage, when you have been meaning to start
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to practise out loud.
Start the block →Double-inhale sigh for coming down after exercise, when you are too tired to try hard
3 · 8 breathing: two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth.
Breathe →Meditation for a racing mind: 15-minute grounding session, before a hard conversation
15 minutes to meet a racing mind with less of a fight. A grounding practice, before a hard conversation.
Begin →Meditation for tight shoulders and neck: 7-minute gratitude session, at your desk
For the times at your desk when tight shoulders and neck takes up more room than you would like — 7 minutes, gratitude.
Begin →Ten minutes outside is not a wellness cliché — what actually helps, when nothing else has worked today
It is the least fashionable intervention available and one of the most reliable. Here is what it actually does.
Read →Focus session for studying: 25 minutes, vinyl crackle, before something difficult
25 minutes of studying, with vinyl crackle and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Beginner box breathing for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you are not sure this will work
2 · 2 · 2 · 2 breathing: the easiest version of the square.
Breathe →3-minute letting go meditation for heartbreak, after a fight
3 minutes to meet heartbreak with less of a fight. A letting go practice, after a fight.
Begin →Breathing for fear of flying: 12 minutes, on the way in
For the times on the way in when fear of flying takes up more room than you would like — 12 minutes, breathing.
Begin →When grief arrives out of nowhere, without the usual advice, when you are on your own
Grief does not follow a schedule. The waves come less often over time, but they do not stop, and that is not a failure.
Read →Focus session for drawing: 50 minutes, white noise, when the house is busy
50 minutes of drawing, with white noise and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 6 rounds for the middle of the night, when you are not in the mood
4 · 4 · 8 breathing: the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Breathe →7-minute guided gratitude practice for falling asleep — after a shock
7 minutes to meet falling asleep with less of a fight. A gratitude practice, after a shock.
Begin →Grounding meditation for financial stress (20 min), before work
For the times before work when financial stress takes up more room than you would like — 20 minutes, grounding.
Begin →How to stop scrolling in bed — what to try first, if you are fitting this around other people
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.
Read →Focus session for reading: 90 minutes, distant thunder, when the weather has kept you inside
90 minutes of reading, with distant thunder and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →7-11 breathing: 6 rounds for travel days, when you are somewhere unfamiliar
7 · 11 breathing: a long, slow ratio for when you have time.
Breathe →Fatigue: 12-minute breathing meditation, after a bad day
A 12-minute breathing session for fatigue, after a bad day. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Focus: 5-minute letting go meditation, after a long day
For the times after a long day when focus takes up more room than you would like — 5 minutes, letting go.
Begin →What to do when everything is too much — an honest guide, when you have more time than usual
Overwhelm is not a lack of capacity. It is too many open loops and no order to them. The fix is unglamorous.
Read →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.