What the French taught me about enjoying life

When I first moved to France, I expected to learn about the culture, the language, history, and maybe a little about cheese and wine, of course. But what I didn’t expect was that France would slowly — and sometimes stubbornly — teach me about something bigger: how to enjoy life.

And not in the curated Instagram way. Not in the “sip rosé by the Eiffel Tower” clichéd kind of way. But in a way that seeps into how you live, day after day, until it starts to feel natural and becomes part of who you are.

As I’ve gotten older and experienced more of life’s ups and downs, being grateful for all of the positives has become even more important to me. I seek out peace and calm and try to find ways every day to enjoy the current moment. Otherwise, the downs can be all-consuming.

Here’s what I’ve learned about life from the French and why it matters:

1. Small moments matter as much as big ones

In my first year here, I noticed how people around me took pride in taking a real pause to enjoy simple things… a coffee break at work, a simple meal, a Sunday walk in the park. Not while scrolling on their phones or multitasking but actually enjoying the moment.

It wasn’t about making it an event or a photo op. It was about giving a small pocket of time their full attention. That was lacking in my life.

Now, I notice these little pauses everywhere and take many myself: a neighbor leaning out the window to chat with a friend in the street, the baker dusting a baguette with care, families lingering on park benches after school, and people just taking time to enjoy these little moments.

It’s not that you couldn’t carve out these moments for yourself back in the US — you could! — it’s just that societal norms in France make it way easier here. The pace of life is slower… people don’t live to work… people have time off, etc.

2. Pace yourself even if rushing has become your norm

Before France, I was an over-scheduler. If I had 15 free minutes, I’d fill them. If I finished work early, I’d start another project. If I had downtime, I’d be trying to maximize it.

But doesn’t life move fast enough on its own? Why the heck are we trying to rush things even more?

The French approach — at least outside the biggest cities as far as I’ve observed — is slower, and not in a lazy way. There’s an understanding that life isn’t meant to be a constant sprint. Trains come when they come. Shops close for lunch or a few weeks of vacay in the summer. Dinner might last hours. You focus on one thing.

It was frustrating at first. But over time, I realized that slowing down wasn’t wasting time — it was owning my time.

3. Food is connection

Yes, French food is delicious. But what really struck me was that meals aren’t just about eating — they’re about sharing. They’re an event in and of themselves. I wrote a whole post that goes into more depth about my favorite French food habit.

Even weekday lunches at the office are treated like a true pause, not a pit stop where you rush back to work.

At work in the US, I’d often eat lunch at my desk. In France, I learned that even a simple salad or sandwich can be elevated when you take the time to sit down, talk, and actually taste it. Good company helps! So does wine. 😉

I’ve carried that home with me: eat slowly, share often, and enjoy the moment.

4. Protect your free time

In France, people fiercely guard their weekends, evenings, and holidays. Work-life balance isn’t just a buzzword — it’s enforced culturally and legally.

Back in the day, I used to feel guilty for not answering emails outside work hours, like I was slacking or letting coworkers down. Here, I’ve learned that having boundaries isn’t slacking — it’s respecting yourself enough so you can actually enjoy life outside of work. Turning that part of my brain off feels so good.

It’s not always easy, but I now see my free time as something to defend, not something to fill with “just one more thing.”

5. You don’t need a reason to celebrate

This is one of my favorite French habits that was always a part of me but has now come out a little more. Do it JUST BECAUSE. Opening a good bottle of wine just because it’s Wednesday. Buying flowers for yourself. Going to see live music on a random night. I love celebrating the little things and am glad it seems to be what French people do too since it’s so aligned with how I like to live.

Although in the US, I liked celebrating whenever, but I’d often save the good stuff for birthdays or holidays. That’s one habit I’m getting better at. I use the nice plates and napkins just because. I open the special wine because I feel like it.

Life is short, and it’s worth making small celebrations part of my everyday life.

6. Enjoying life is a process

I think the biggest surprise was realizing that “enjoying life” isn’t something you magically have if you move to a beautiful place — it’s something you have to practice.

The French aren’t constantly blissful. They have bad days, stress, and struggles like anyone else. But they also have cultural habits that make joy more accessible — and they use them.

It’s taught me that I can build my own version of that, wherever I live, by being intentional about how I spend my time and what I give my attention to.

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The French didn’t hand me a manual on how to enjoy life. What they did give me — through observation, immersion, and plenty of trial and error — is a deeper appreciation for presence, boundaries, and savoring the ordinary.

You don’t have to live in France to learn these things. You can do it anywhere. But living here gave me the space to see them more clearly.

Maybe that’s the biggest lesson of all: you can enjoy life more fully if you give yourself permission to do exactly that.