The weekend is here. For those fortunate enough to work regular hours during the working week, Friday afternoons are often spent clearing the to-do list (or at least attempting to) while plotting the following week. But mostly, we’re all looking forward to a long, lazy weekend with very little on the agenda.
But wait: you’ve already committed to tackling pesky chores at home on Saturday morning, you have a long-arranged dinner date with friends on Saturday evening, and Sunday will be taken up with a big batch cook, and then there’s the grocery shopping (even placing an online order can feel a lot when you have to plan for the whole week ahead). And, just when you think you can pause for breath, you’ll suddenly find that there’s something you desperately need to buy – right now, today.
While commitments and weekend to-do lists may differ, chances are your weekends mostly end up pretty packed, and neither restful nor as lazy as you might prefer.
Unless, perhaps, you live in France, where Sundays are treated as a complete day of rest.
Embrace and enjoy a French Sunday, even if you’re far from France
Instead of frantically trying to fit in all your errands, a French Sunday is all about sleeping in and enjoying quality rest and relaxation on your sofa. Maybe you’ll rouse yourself for a bit of a potter in the garden, or a stroll in nature – but only if you’re so inclined.
The point is to do what you want and focus only on doing as little as possible. Here are three suggestions to help set the (slow and relaxing) pace.
Have a lie-in
With no errands to run or tasks to complete, the whole day stretches ahead of you – a blank canvas that you can fill or leave blank as you wish.
There’s absolutely nothing to drag you out of bed.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, becoming familiar with it could prove beneficial. Research suggests that sleeping in for an extra 90 minutes could help protect against high blood pressure. If you want to do things right, make your lie-in a precise 1 hour and 27 minutes.
In the event that someone in the family is trying to prevent you from fully engaging in your very serious lie-in, tell them what study author Dr Nawon Lee of Korea University in Seoul said:
“People should not feel lazy or guilty for sleeping a little longer on the weekend. If they have not been able to get enough sleep during the week, some extra sleep on the weekend may simply be the body’s way of recovering from that sleep loss.”
Do justice to a proper “le déjeuner”, and feast for hours with family and friends
Le déjeuner typically starts around midday, with multiple courses, an abundance of wine, and wide-ranging conversations. Nothing is rushed, courses are consumed slowly and deliberately, each morsel properly appreciated.
Whether your group all contributes a dish, you have a generous host who loves to cook (maybe that’s you?), or you prefer to gather at a local restaurant, le déjeuner is all about enjoying excellent food, quality time, and lengthy conversations with the people you love.
Enjoy a Sunday stroll, with no goal, no step-counting, and no expectation
This could occur “en masse”, once the feast is complete, or perhaps an amble home alone because you were smart enough to pick a restaurant within easy walking distance.
Ideally, your stroll should be a slow amble – remember, there’s absolutely nothing pressing you must do today.
Take your time, take in your surroundings, and under no circumstances should you monitor how many steps you take!
Set your own pace and allow your mind to wander freely. Your Sunday stroll is the gentlest of exercise, a promenade digestive, and, ultimately, the perfect way to wind up an ideal French Sunday.
