You might have noticed that the French have a certain carefree way of living. They seem to have an ability to effortlessly enjoy life. When you see them lounging by the Seine, sitting outside on terraces (no matter what the weather), and leisurely strolling down the street with a dog or a baguette under their arm, it makes you wonder, right? How can they be so relaxed? Are they always on vacation?
No, the French are not always on vacation. The reason they seem to enjoy their common everyday lives more than the rest of us, is because they have grasped the essence of joie de vivre.
Joie de vivre is all about seeing that life is good the way it is. It’s about finding happiness in small ordinary things. It’s about understanding that those small ordinary things actually make up our whole lives.
When you let go of constantly thinking about what’s next, and when you stop feeling a need to rush ahead, to achieve something, you are able to focus on all the wonderful things going on around you here and now.
Let’s have a look at what the French do, and see what we can learn from them!
Loving food
As much as the French love their food, they love to love their food. And it makes sense; when you see food as one of greatest pleasures in life, truly appreciating it is really the only right thing to do.
The French know that the first step to enjoying a meal to the fullest is to give yourself the time to enjoy it. Be mindful of what you are having, what it looks like, how it smells, and how it tastes. Instead of eating your lunch sandwich by your desk at work, just because you’re hungry and you have to eat, leave the office and allow yourself a break. In France, they usually have at least an hour-long lunch break to go to a restaurant or to sit outside in a sunny park. Let yourself leave the thoughts of work behind, and if you are in the company of colleagues, keep the conversation light and non-work related. This is a time of day to relax and enjoy. How about a glass of wine with that? Your French colleague wouldn’t mind!
As with le déjeuner, all meals deserve your time and appreciation. Wake up slowly with breakfast. Let dinner take hours.
Feeling like dessert? Go for it! And make it guilt-free like the French, by having just a little bit. When you eat mindfully and truly savor every bite, you will notice that a few bites of that delicious piece of cake is enough and you don’t really need to finish all of it. Why not save the rest for later? Win-win!
Quality over quantity
Joie de vivre is about focusing on the things in life that give us true joy. When it comes to possessions, think about which objects in your home are meaningful to you. Which items bring you happiness? Are there things you surround yourself with that you don’t really care for, that only become unnecessary clutter? Take a moment to think about the following quote.
The less I needed, the better I felt.
Charles Bukowski
You can see the French living by this philosophy by the way they are dressing, for example. They opt for a few high-quality pieces that they love and are attached to, instead of filling their closets with clothes that don’t really fit well, that they don’t really need, and that don’t really last. Their timeless pieces bring them joy for years.
While quality over quantity obviously goes for all kinds of possessions, it also applies to the people you spend your time with. French people know how to value true friends and prefer meaningful relationships to shallow acquaintances. They will take their time getting to know you, and once you have become friends, they will set time aside to hang out with you. Instead of meeting up for a quick cup of coffee just before rushing to the next appointment, you might spend several hours together, sipping some wine and enjoying good conversation.
Hanging out with the people you like and who truly care about you brings you so much more happiness than investing your energy in superficial relationships. Organizing a dinner party? Think about who you really want to show up, and invite only those! It’s really that simple!
Being content
Last but not least, joie de vivre is about being content. Appreciating what you have right now allows you to live in the moment, and vice versa. You can have this mentality while still being ambitious. But if you feel like what you do is never enough, if you feel like you should constantly be moving forward, you lose a bit of the magic of joie de vivre. French people would generally not admire someone for working hard, but for having a good work-life balance. They are also not into perfection, but rather see imperfection as something beautiful. Having this mindset takes pressure off of so many things. Just be content instead.
Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.
Helen Keller
When you are content and in the moment, it’s easier to relax. French people are amazing at relaxing and being on vacation. They know how to completely disconnect and leave all thoughts of work behind. There is no way they would ever check their work email on vacation. All they want to do is enjoy doing nothing. Simple things like delicious food and good conversation is all they need.
When you think about it, joie de vivre is really not that complicated. Quite simple, actually. So, what are you waiting for? Go bring some of that joie de vivre into your own life!
For more on the topic, check out these 14 tips on how to capture joie de vivre on wikiHow.
Thanks, I am working on this mind set!
Wonderfully said. To me, it’s about choosing to live in the present rather than striving for the future. Both matter, both have their place, neither is better or worse—but there should be some kind of balance. If you only build for the future, you might achieve a lot but life will pass you by without you ever having tasted its sweet fruits.
As I move fully into senior citizen status I am thinking more and more about the notion of enjoying what I have and being grateful. Joi de Vivre……much like the Italian La Dolce Vita…..seems to be something that I lost for so many years in my fast- paced business world environment. Nowadays, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with a few family members and friends is so much more comforting than attempting to achieve ‘the next great thing.’