Recommend a depressed guy some interesting/ uplifting UK magazines
November 15, 2017 10:55 AM Subscribe
Struggling with the winter blues and at times lacking the focus to read books, but I think if I bought some one off magazines with a view to subscribing (in the UK) that might give me the incentive to at least get out from my cosy home and read a magazine in my local cafe while having a latte. Male aged 48. If I tell you what I like, can you recommend something along the same lines?
A while ago I realised I was buying books from Amazon but not really reading them all the way through, more just barely dipping in and out. It's a focus issue possibly related to my bipolar. I rarely have highs but more often lows where I don't get out the house all day. I was thinking if I got a few magazines that would give me something I could take to a nearby coffee shop and linger a while over, instead of just looking at my smartphone there which I do at home too much anyway. Here's what I've tried so far, can anyone else recommend something they enjoy or they think I would? I am a male aged 48 but not really very macho, for example I like rom-coms and used to like Psychologies magazine which seemed very much aimed at woman, so don't assume I'd be into GQ or Esquire.
Time magazine :- the weekly frequency meant I fell behind too quick and they just piled up. Didn't find especially interesting.
The Simple Things :- some enjoyable articles and a nice "slow living" feel that made it enjoyable to read with a cup of tea. Quite a few articles about cooking/ recipes or crafting, neither of which I know how to do, so a bit marginal to say if it's worth the money for the remaining ones which are relevant to me.
New Yorker :- Some interesting things, I love the cover and the cartoons, and New York seems a very interesting/ glamourous place to me so is sort of like armchair travel (I am more interested in cities than nature so I don't think I'd like Conde Nast Traveller though). Lots of articles about politics though which in the current climate is a bit depressing. Am not going to manage to read a copy a week though I suspect I'd end up with many not read at all.
Breathe :- Lovely magazine, some interesting and different content, and a general wellness theme which is quite relevant for me as I look to have better self-care. I actually subscribe to this, shame it's only every second month.
Kinfolk and Lodestar Anthology :- Beautiful looking magazines, quite aspirational, armchair travel. Even the paper in both is lovely and gives that enjoyable feeling of reading the quality printed word rather than look at a computer screen. Expensive though - £10+ per issue plus postage I think. Might buy again for special issues or if I was feeling very down in the dumps and was throwing money at the problem of cheering myself up.
The Stack :- I really liked the idea of getting sent a different independant magazine each month for a year, partly because I thought they would be interesting, and partly because getting surprises in the post feels fun (maybe I should be considering getting a gift box monthly subscription like a Buddy box too?). Anyway the two magazines that arrived were quite highbrow arty and I didn't really understand or relate to them, I am middlebrow at best. To their credit they allowed me to cancel and refunded the unused part of the year. I guess I am more into films that art really, so in theory I might be in the market for something like Sight and Sound, but I don't like reviews full of spoilers like they have.
OK given those clues, is anyone up for the challenge of recommending me something else? I suspect my tastes would have more in common with women rather than men as I'm not into soccer or fishing or a lot of typical guy hobbies.
As an aside, I'd consider paying to subscribe to online content that was uplifting/ wellness-related/ interesting whether that be a video channel or a newspaper subsription. As a reference point I read the Guardian online daily and at times in the past subsribed to the digital edition of the New York Times.
A while ago I realised I was buying books from Amazon but not really reading them all the way through, more just barely dipping in and out. It's a focus issue possibly related to my bipolar. I rarely have highs but more often lows where I don't get out the house all day. I was thinking if I got a few magazines that would give me something I could take to a nearby coffee shop and linger a while over, instead of just looking at my smartphone there which I do at home too much anyway. Here's what I've tried so far, can anyone else recommend something they enjoy or they think I would? I am a male aged 48 but not really very macho, for example I like rom-coms and used to like Psychologies magazine which seemed very much aimed at woman, so don't assume I'd be into GQ or Esquire.
Time magazine :- the weekly frequency meant I fell behind too quick and they just piled up. Didn't find especially interesting.
The Simple Things :- some enjoyable articles and a nice "slow living" feel that made it enjoyable to read with a cup of tea. Quite a few articles about cooking/ recipes or crafting, neither of which I know how to do, so a bit marginal to say if it's worth the money for the remaining ones which are relevant to me.
New Yorker :- Some interesting things, I love the cover and the cartoons, and New York seems a very interesting/ glamourous place to me so is sort of like armchair travel (I am more interested in cities than nature so I don't think I'd like Conde Nast Traveller though). Lots of articles about politics though which in the current climate is a bit depressing. Am not going to manage to read a copy a week though I suspect I'd end up with many not read at all.
Breathe :- Lovely magazine, some interesting and different content, and a general wellness theme which is quite relevant for me as I look to have better self-care. I actually subscribe to this, shame it's only every second month.
Kinfolk and Lodestar Anthology :- Beautiful looking magazines, quite aspirational, armchair travel. Even the paper in both is lovely and gives that enjoyable feeling of reading the quality printed word rather than look at a computer screen. Expensive though - £10+ per issue plus postage I think. Might buy again for special issues or if I was feeling very down in the dumps and was throwing money at the problem of cheering myself up.
The Stack :- I really liked the idea of getting sent a different independant magazine each month for a year, partly because I thought they would be interesting, and partly because getting surprises in the post feels fun (maybe I should be considering getting a gift box monthly subscription like a Buddy box too?). Anyway the two magazines that arrived were quite highbrow arty and I didn't really understand or relate to them, I am middlebrow at best. To their credit they allowed me to cancel and refunded the unused part of the year. I guess I am more into films that art really, so in theory I might be in the market for something like Sight and Sound, but I don't like reviews full of spoilers like they have.
OK given those clues, is anyone up for the challenge of recommending me something else? I suspect my tastes would have more in common with women rather than men as I'm not into soccer or fishing or a lot of typical guy hobbies.
As an aside, I'd consider paying to subscribe to online content that was uplifting/ wellness-related/ interesting whether that be a video channel or a newspaper subsription. As a reference point I read the Guardian online daily and at times in the past subsribed to the digital edition of the New York Times.
You might be interested to check out the English-language version of Flow magazine.
posted by rubbish bin night at 1:16 PM on November 15, 2017
posted by rubbish bin night at 1:16 PM on November 15, 2017
Oh, I've read and enjoyed an issue of In the Moment which I liked a whole lot better than The Simple Things. (It says it's aimed at women, but I don't remember reading anything that wouldn't also have been suitable for a man with your interests.)
Both Flow and In the Moment do have a few things about crafting/drawing/professional illustrators, which doesn't particularly interest me in terms of doing it myself but I like looking at the pretty pictures of things other people have made. YMMV.
posted by rubbish bin night at 1:26 PM on November 15, 2017
Both Flow and In the Moment do have a few things about crafting/drawing/professional illustrators, which doesn't particularly interest me in terms of doing it myself but I like looking at the pretty pictures of things other people have made. YMMV.
posted by rubbish bin night at 1:26 PM on November 15, 2017
You might like Uppercase, Dumbo Feather, and maybe Lunch Lady - none are UK based but have lots of online content, may or may not be at your library, and you can purchase individual issues online.
This is a new one I may try too: Project Calm (I think this one is UK based). It might be the same as In the Moment? Or done by the same people?
posted by jrobin276 at 5:33 PM on November 15, 2017
This is a new one I may try too: Project Calm (I think this one is UK based). It might be the same as In the Moment? Or done by the same people?
posted by jrobin276 at 5:33 PM on November 15, 2017
Response by poster: Some good ones here, I've found an offer for three issues of In The Moment for £5 so I'm starting with that, but all are good.
posted by AuroraSky at 10:12 PM on November 15, 2017
posted by AuroraSky at 10:12 PM on November 15, 2017
The Economist is not just for the Rothschilds - I like its Christmas double edition in particular. I have not read their "1843" offshoot since it was renamed from "Intelligent Life" last year - but again that has lots of good general interest stuff in it.
posted by rongorongo at 10:34 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 10:34 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
I haven't had chance to check out an issue yet, but some friends of mine are big fans of Positive News.
posted by A Robot Ninja at 10:33 AM on November 16, 2017
posted by A Robot Ninja at 10:33 AM on November 16, 2017
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posted by soelo at 11:18 AM on November 15, 2017