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Photo of hands playing a piano keyboard, showing close-up of fingers and a ring on one finger against dark background.

Pleasures and pastimes

idea

Feel free to stop striving: learn to relish being an amateur

When I rekindled my relationship with the piano and tapped into my inner amateur, I discovered a quiet room of my own

by Xenia Hanusiak

A woman in an orange sweater is practising her golf swing in a narrow, cobblestone alleyway lined with bicycles, adjacent to a building with large windows.

Play

idea

The achievement society is burning us out, we need more play

This is about more than a self-help switch – it will take structural changes to reject capitalism’s productivity obsession

by Alec Stubbs

A close-up of a man using an online betting platform on his smartphone. The phone screen lights up a darkened room

Addiction

guide

How to control your gambling

What’s fun at first can all too easily get out of hand. Learn the warning signs and use these tips to rein things in

by Luke Clark

Dance

film

How the acrobat and choreographer Yoann Bourgeois plays with gravity and time

Directed by Raphael Wertheimer

Hands clapping flour over a ball of dough on a floured surface with a wooden rolling pin nearby, in a dark background setting.

Food and drink

idea

If you don’t fancy mindfulness, then try cooking instead

When overwhelmed I schedule in a cooking day: playful, daring and full of memories. Beats any other stress-reliever for me

by Chloe Faure

Black and white photo of a man in a top hat with a watering can seated, woman standing in period attire, vintage interior.

Play

idea

What TikTok videos have in common with Victorian parlour games

TikTok and Insta videos are the Victorian parlour games of today, allowing us to share in the emotional benefits of play

by Kim Beil & Ryan Tacata

Abstract watercolour painting of figures walking in different directions on a white background.

Play

film

An Oscar-nominated animation that celebrates walking with humans

Directed by Ryan Larkin

Photo of a surfer riding a large wave in the ocean with cloudy spray, capturing the power and movement of the sea.

Meaning and the good life

idea

What surfing says about the importance of serendipity in life

What surfers call the elated state of ‘stoke’ is really a celebration of life and the meaningful serendipities it brings

by Aaron James

A person in a yellow jacket skipping stones at the beach during sunset, with calm water and rock formations in the distance.

Play

idea

All you need to know to start skipping stones like a pro

With the right attitude, stone skipping is a rebellious act that will leave you feeling like you have glitter in your veins

by Julie Benda

Black-and-white photo of photographers taking pictures of a meerkat at a zoo, with onlookers in the background.

Animals

film

The zoo is a funhouse mirror that reflects and refracts the peculiarities of being human

Directed by Bert Haanstra