Four Ways to Embrace the French Art de Vivre
(No passeport required)
France is often celebrated for its cuisine, architecture, and rich cultural heritage, but if you ask me, the most defining part of a French life is something less tangible yet far more powerful: its art de vivre.
Growing up in Provence, I didn’t realize how deeply this philosophy was woven into my everyday life until I moved away. Only then did I understand that slowing down, savoring, and choosing quality over quantity was essential to living a happy life.
Today, through Best French Forever, I share this way of living with women who are craving more meaning, presence, and joy in their daily lives.
Here are four simple, very French ways to infuse more art de vivre into your everyday—wherever you are in the world.
1/ Start with food (and taking time for it)
In France, food is a ritual.
Meals are meant to be enjoyed slowly, ideally around a table, with conversation flowing as freely as the wine.
Growing up, our Sundays were reserved for long family lunches that stretched into the afternoon.
It wasn’t much about the menu, but more about being together.
My first job after college was at a communications agency in the South of France. No matter how busy the day, we had to take our one-hour-and-a-half lunch break. At the time, it felt normal. But now that I’ve experienced the American quick-lunch-in-front-of-my-computer-before-the-next-meeting, I see how that long pause was so essential: it gave us mental space, better energy, and—ironically—more productivity.
If American corporate culture makes that feel impossible, start small. A slower weekend meal. A screen-free coffee break during the work day. A home-cooked lunch enjoyed at the table instead of standing at the counter.
Food is an invitation to slow down—seize it and see how it may impact your day!
2/ Embrace beauty
The French are renowned for their appreciation of beauty and style, and it shows in their fashion, architecture, and art.
But you don’t have to become an art collector or have a designer wardrobe (I certainly don’t!) to instill the French art de vivre into your life.
Beauty can be as simple as fresh flowers on the table, a linen napkin, or noticing the morning light streaming through a window.
When I first created Best French Forever, my intention was to curate beautiful yet simple objects from Provence—pieces made by artisans, crafted with care, and meant to last. Fewer and better things. Objects with a story.
But beauty isn’t only material. It’s also found in:
A walk in nature or by the sea
A neighborhood you love wandering through
A museum visit or an art class
Creating space in your home, and your calendar.
And once we choose to notice beauty in the simplicity, it becomes a gift to ourselves.
3/ Cherish the experiences
The French art de vivre invites us to prioritize what we’ll remember over what we’ll accumulate.
That might mean saying yes to a concert in an unexpected venue, a creative workshop, or—yes—joining a women’s retreat in Provence where time stretches, conversations deepen, and you reconnect with yourself.
Big or small, what matters is presence. Every experience becomes richer when you allow yourself to fully live it. Santé !
4/ Practice being fully present
Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of l’art de vivre is this: being where you are.
Not rushing to the next thing. Not multitasking your way through life. Simply enjoying the moment at hand. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and stress of modern life, but what if we paused and took time to enjoy the simple things?
It might look like:
A quiet coffee without distractions
A meaningful conversation with someone new (I started talking with the woman sitting next to me on the plane last week, and we ended up exchanging contacts!)
Reading a book without checking your phone
Sitting at a table a little longer than planned
These moments may seem small, but they’re the ones that make life feel full.
Bring le bon temps into your everyday
In conclusion, the French art de vivre is all about savoring les petits bonheurs, these small joys that are always available when we choose to notice them.
This philosophy shapes how I live my American life today—and it’s at the heart of everything I share through Best French Forever.
If you’re longing to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and live with more intention:
My women’s retreats in Provence offer a deeply immersive experience of the French art de vivre, guided by a native (that’s me!).
Le BFF Club, my online community for Francophiles, is where we continue the conversation—through culture, language, and the shared desire to live well.