Pleasures and pastimes

Photo of a woman reading outside a café with menus on windows, chalkboard signs, and outdoor seating on a sunny day.
HABITS AND ROUTINES
1

How to read more books

Modern life can feel too frantic for books. Use these habit-building strategies to carve out time for the joy of reading

by Christian Jarrett

Painting of a person sleeping in a bed with yellow bedding and a red blanket in a warm-toned room.
PLEASURES AND PASTIMES
3

How to rest well

Taking a break isn’t lazy – learning to recharge is a skill that will allow you to enjoy a more creative, sustainable life

by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Photo of smiling people in festive nature-inspired costumes with leaves and flowers, outdoors against a stone building.
JOY
3

How to start having more fun

Fun isn’t frivolous – it’s vital for your wellbeing. Here’s a step-by-step plan to bring more pleasure into your busy life

by Mike Rucker

Black and white photo of a man and woman sitting at a café table in conversation, looking thoughtfully to the side.
FILM
8

How to find great films to watch

Bored with Hollywood and Netflix? Becoming an adventurous and informed explorer of the cinema world is in everyone’s grasp

by Geoff Andrew

Photo of three men smiling and holding a large inflatable globe in a room with various boxes and jars.
CREATIVITY
17

A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived

Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims

by Joseph M Keegin

Cubist painting of fragmented books and a glass on a table with geometric shapes in blue, brown and grey tones.
STORIES AND LITERATURE
7

How to gain more from your reading

There’s more to words than meets the eye. Deepen your appreciation of literature through the art of slow, attentive reading

by Robert DiYanni

Abstract illustration of a person enjoying a cup of tea with colourful fruits and plants emerging as steam from the cup.
FOOD AND DRINK
8

How to enjoy coffee

Smooth like chocolate or fruity like a berry, coffee has as many tastes as wine or beer – you just need to know your beans

by Jessica Easto

Drawing of a man in profile with a mustache sitting by a window resting his head on his hand, sketched in green and brown.
HISTORY OF IDEAS
17

How to read philosophy

The first thing to remember is that the great philosophers were only human. Then you can start disagreeing with them

by Charlie Huenemann

Painting of a woman in a yellow dress and hat sitting with a guitar against a green background.
MUSIC
9

How to start making music

It’s never too late to play an instrument or learn to sing. Take the leap from listener to maker in the way that suits you

by Gayla M Mills

Photo of young people sitting on a stone ledge outside a historic building, some using phones, with trees and red phone boxes.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

Why teenagers are deliberately seeking brain rot on TikTok

Talking to teens reveals a hidden sophistication to their media use. Rather than policing it, maybe we could learn from it

by Emilie Owens

Photo of a man sitting on grass near a bridge with people relaxing and walking in a park setting.
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

Being alone with your thoughts is a skill you can practise

People go to extreme lengths to avoid time with their own thoughts. We’ve found some ways to make it more pleasurable

by Rémy Furrer

Photo of wooden bookshelves filled with books, small decor items and framed pictures in a cosy room setting.
STORIES AND LITERATURE
16

How to nurture a personal library

An escape, a sanctuary, a place of pleasure, a memoir. Take these steps to ensure your library is just what you want it to be

by Freya Howarth

Photo of a man skateboarding beside the ocean with an old car watching a woman in a swimsuit on a sunny day.
VIRTUES AND VICES
13

How to think about pleasure

Weirdly hard to define, much less to feel OK about it, pleasure is a tricky creature. Can philosophy help us lighten up?

by Sam Dresser

Photo of hands playing a piano keyboard, showing close-up of fingers and a ring on one finger against dark background.
PLEASURES AND PASTIMES
16

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 denim jacket with a patch sewn on with red thread, with a needle with thread resting on the jacket
TRADITIONAL ARTS

Could the art of ‘sashiko’ help to mend our frayed world?

The Japanese art of ‘sashiko’ celebrates the rough edges of life. Could this be the patchwork solution for our frayed selves?

by Melanie McGrath

Photo of shelves filled with vinyl record covers stacked vertically, showing a collection of diverse albums.
MUSIC
8

How to discover new music

In a musical rut? Whatever your age or existing tastes, you can find surprise and enjoyment beyond the streaming algorithms

by James Hadfield