10 Best Slow Living Magazines To Inspire You
Put your smartphone aside. Grab a coffee and take a moment to flip through a print magazine for some real slow living inspiration.
Full of beautiful imagery and practical advice, these magazines will inspire you to simplify your life and savor everyday moments.
They’re a real treat in our digital world. And a much-needed break from your glowing phone screen.
Flip through their pages and get inspired by the luscious imagery and insights into living a simpler life.
Here are my favorite slow living magazines to inspire you:
1. Kinfolk
Kinfolk is a slow living icon, a hipster must-have and an Instagram aesthetic pioneer.
It began as a magazine about intimate gatherings. And now it’s credited with defining the millennial aesthetic with its curated shoots of avocado toast and drying laundry.
Cliche? Maybe. But there’s some brilliant content on slow living amid Kinfolk’s beautiful photos.
Dive into this slow lifestyle quarterly for inspiration on interiors, arts & culture, food, music and more.
Kinfolk also does a stunning series on slow travel that dives deep into specific destinations and their authentic experiences.
And while the Kinfolk aesthetic is now legendary, the stories about slow living and simple pleasures are just as good.
Must-read:
From Sea to Shining Sea looks at the lives of the Turner twins and their adventures from rowing across the Atlantic to climbing Europe’s tallest mountain.
2. Darling
Darling is about real, unphotoshopped women and challenging cultural ideals of beauty, the sexualization of women and diet culture.
It tackles issues like depression, anxiety and slowing down in your everyday life. Topics range from relationships and career to culture, fashion and travel.
Darling celebrates women of different body types and ethnicities – with no retouched faces and bodies in their issues.
It’s an ideal respite from curated ads and filtered social media feeds.
Read it as a reminder of what a real woman’s body looks like.
3. Breathe
Breathe is about well-being, mindfulness, downtime and recharging for a calmer and more relaxed you.
It includes topics like creativity and escape in stories with stunning illustrations that bring the reflections to life.
Breathe is a thoughtful magazine that will inspire you to slow down and get creative.
Must-reads:
What 500 Sun Salutations taught me looks at the power of striving for patience and not perfection.
Confessions of an introvert is all about this often misunderstood trait – and why being alone is not only a preference but a necessity.
4. Cereal
Cereal is a biannual UK-based travel and style magazine that covers a few select locations in each issue for a slower and more sustainable way of travel.
They also do some gorgeous physical guide books to cities like London, Paris and New York packed with hidden gems and breathtaking photography.
Cereal also features interviews with artists and designers, essays and engaging stories on travel and fashion.
Known for its minimal aesthetic, Cereal is one of the world’s most beautiful travel magazines.
And it’s a fount of inspiration for a slower and more sustainable way of exploring the world.
5. Suitcase
Suitcase is a dreamy quarterly travel magazine that fuels your wanderlust with long-form travel essays and inspiring stories of change-makers.
It aims to change the way you travel, bridges cultures and connects far-away communities.
Suitcase pioneers slow travel as an antidote to overtourism and its devastating impact on the environment.
Suitcase is all about more mindful travel that gets you off the beaten path with inspiring city guides and photo journals.
I love their Keeping it Alive series for stories on craftspeople around the world fighting to preserve their cultural heritage.
Must-reads:
Keeping It Alive: The Venetian Artisan Hammering Gold by Hand tells the evocative story of the sole Italian craftsman keeping his craft going.
Drinking with Dionysus: an Insider Guide to the Vineyards of Southern Greece is an inspiring voyage through Cretan organic estates and Kos innovators.
6. Bloom
Bloom is about strengthening your connection with the natural world and getting out into your garden.
From Benedictine nuns tending a garden to get closer to God, to the power of a meandering stroll outdoors to solve problems, Bloom is packed with inspiration for nature lovers.
There’s also lots of gardening advice – whether you have a thriving garden or just a strip of windowsill – that will inspire you to grow with style.
Bloom will inspire you to take a digital detox and get back into the fresh air.
7. 91 Magazine
91 Magazine is all about inspirational spaces and creative interiors – including the artists, makers and designers behind them.
From tours inside the homes of stylish illustrators to city guides curated by the coolest Instagrammers, 91 Magazine is a treasure trove of lifestyle, travel and food inspiration.
I love their Meet The Maker series for in-depth interviews with artists and creatives – and some beautiful behind-the-scenes glimpses into their studios.
91 Magazine will inspire you to simplify your home, live more seasonally and appreciate the beauty of handmade.
Must-reads:
Meet The Maker: Nicole Purdie of Prints By The Bay tells the story of Nicole’s journey from hobby printmaker to business – and the earthy lino prints she creates.
How to nurture and unearth your authentic writer’s voice is full of wisdom from a writing mentor on unleashing your creativity.
8. Heiter
Heiter is an exciting new magazine about living mindfully and finding joy in your everyday life.
It will inspire you to sprinkle more mindful activities into your life, connect with like-minded people and do something for yourself – no matter how small.
From trying out the viral “Lucky Girl Syndrome” trend to essays on cultivating moments of joy, Heiter will inspire you to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
Editor-in-Chief Katharina Geissler-Evans launched the magazine after she saw the impact of heiter moments in her own life.
Overwhelmed with stress during her final university project, Katharina decided to do something nice for herself everyday. She started with a cup of coffee.
And that simple strategy really worked.
Must-reads:
Heiterkeit: cultivating moments of joy in everyday life is a beautiful intro to the art of changing your perspective.
What is the ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ and how does it work is a true story about the power of positive affirmations.
9. The Simple Things
The Simple Things celebrates slowing down, enjoying what you have and making the most of where you live – from sharing meals with friends to visiting local markets.
It was launched by three friends who were tired of magazines that portrayed perfection and strove to always sell you something.
The Simple Things is a different kind of publication that shares age-old wisdom, outdoors adventures and seasonal living.
It’s also packed with inspiration for growing and cooking, crafts and projects, and inspiring yet attainable style.
Must-reads:
New hobby | Plein Air Sketching is a beginner-friendly guide to creating quick landscape studies.
Brain fog | And how to beat it offers practical advice to boost your concentration – from eating a healthy diet to challenging your brain.
10. Happiful
Happiful aims to change the stigma around mental health with practical advice on well-being and relationships.
From happiful hacks that offer simple advice to well-being articles and uplifting reader stories, Happiful offers inspiration towards a more stable life.
Must-reads:
What are the five elements of wonder and how can they help us live more meaningfully? is a great intro on changing your way of seeing the world.
17 unusual ways to boost your motivation is a list of less obvious strategies from striking a power pose to harnessing your inner child.
Read next:
16 Practical Tips For Slow Living in the City
15 Things To Do In The Morning (Instead Of Scrolling)
16 Life-Changing Slow Living Tips (You Can Start Today)
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