Body & Mind

With a Sunday like in France, you can really relax

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A light, young woman with long blonde hair, sitting on a terrace outside, wearing a cream-colored knitted sweater and black rain boots. She is surrounded by animals: she holds a small black chick against her chest and pets a large, fluffy sheep with a black head, sitting to her left. To her right is a blonde golden retriever sniffing her sheep or her face. In the background, there is a green hedge and a paved terrace visible.

Sundays in the Netherlands? They often consist of laundry, meal prepping, a sense of guilt about not exercising, and that eternal “tomorrow it starts again.” But in France, Sunday is something sacred. No stress, no schedules, just good coffee, family, and the feeling that time stands still for a moment. And it is precisely from that ‘there really must be nothing’ mentality that we can learn a lot. Such a Sunday à la France is exactly what you need.

French Sundays: where no plan is the best plan

For a typical French Sunday, there is actually one golden rule: there is no planning. That list of chores you had ready can go straight out the window. No to-do list or appointment at 11:00 sharp, but just let yourself be carried along by the day. In France, people are given a little help with that; many restaurants and shops are simply closed on Sundays. You have no other choice than to hit that pause button for a moment. Always being busy and having a full agenda is not seen in France as something good or a sign that you are doing well. It is rather a signal of imbalance. Working and being busy is just one part of life; there is so much more to enjoy.

Self-care first: the French recipe for a relaxing Sunday

There is no plan, but one thing is at the top of the priority list: selfcare. But perhaps not in the way you would expect. Where TikTok nowadays is filled with elaborate shower routines or 10-step plans to relax, in France it can be just a bit less fancy. The definition of self-care is much simpler there: it’s about recovery and pleasure. That can certainly include a face mask, but also cooking with your partner or reading a book. It’s about doing something that makes you feel better, without worrying about beauty ideals or demands that your algorithm imposes on you. So, feel free to tune into what you feel like at that moment – no plans in advance, remember?

Is there a feud among the cast of Emily in Paris?

The power of flâner

Another thing that really forms the core of a typical French Sunday is the art of flâner. Wandering around without a specific destination; because you can and to enjoy the surroundings. Just stepping out the door in the morning, again without a plan, and letting yourself be guided by what you encounter along the way. Maybe you get completely lost in your thoughts during a walk in the woods, or you spontaneously stumble upon a cozy little park where you sit down on a bench for a while. It’s not about the final destination, but more about the journey and especially the slow pace at which you make it. No rush, you don’t have to go anywhere, but you can if it feels good for you.

How do you create that Sunday like in France?

Okay, we now know what a typical French Sunday entails. But how do you ensure that your day actually looks like that? Without that task list unconsciously imposing itself on you again. As the characteristics show, it’s not so much about what you do, but about the intention you have with it. It’s important to give yourself permission to be spontaneous, to let go of your plans, and to just let yourself be carried along by your feelings and the day. Give yourself that time to rest, without guilt. To make that a bit easier, you can already make some preparations. Is Sunday your regular shopping day? Then do that a day earlier, so you really have some free time. Also, try not to set an alarm and sleep in; maybe until the afternoon, but then your body apparently needed that. Say no to all plans and put your phone away; this way you prevent that feeling of obligation to be involved in something. We can’t just close all the shops here on Sundays, but you can imagine that it is so. All tricks to embrace the ‘nothing to do’ more easily. This will be your day; not that of your boss, your friends, or your partner – you decide.

Paris

The perfect playlist for your relaxing French Sunday

Could your Sunday still use a musical addition? These French musical gems help you to immerse yourself even more in Paris and relax optimally.

1. Édith Piaf – “La Vie en Rose”
2. Charles Aznavour – “La Bohème”
3. Yann Tiersen – “Comptine d’un autre été: L’après-midi”
4. France Gall – “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”
5. Vanessa Paradis – “Joe le taxi”
6. Serge Gainsbourg – “La Javanaise”
7. Christine and the Queens – “Christine”
8. Zaz – “Je veux”
9. Julien Doré – “Paris-Seychelles”
10. Alizée – “Moi… Lolita”

Happy Sunday!

Source: The Every Girl