Never work weekends & Cultivate conversation

The French take time away seriously enough that it’s illegal to email workers after business hours. While in the UK and America, we fill weekends with errands and admin, the French prioritise friends and hobbies (my French colleagues wouldn’t dream of dusting the apartment on a Saturday). I now use weekends for long walks, gallery or museum visits, or learning new recipes, arriving at work on Monday refreshed and ready for the week ahead.

The French often skip small talk in favour of philosophy and debate. Dinner parties (which never went out of style in Paris) are lively, with guests rotated every month to keep perspectives fresh. Strong opinions and criticism aren’t seen as rude; the French love to argue because they love to resolve disputes. I lost count of the number of couples I saw arguing in public (often inviting friends to weigh in). While the British and American custom of shallow chit-chat may seem more pleasant, it’s these French-style honest conversations that build trust, openness and stronger relationships.