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The French lifestyle has captivated people for generations — not because it’s extravagant, but because it’s rooted in simplicity, quality, and joy. At its heart, it’s about elevating the everyday: meals around the table, beautiful ingredients, thoughtful self-care, and making space for what matters.
As a physician and someone deeply influenced by my French heritage, I believe that this way of living isn’t just charming — it’s good for your well-being. And you don’t need to live in France to experience l’art de vivre. From your kitchen, your skincare routine, or even your backyard garden, you can embrace the essence of the French lifestyle wherever you are.
Here are 25 timeless practices to inspire a more intentional, beautiful way of living — one that supports both health and happiness.
1. Prioritize Mealtime
In France, mealtime is sacred. It’s not something squeezed in between errands or eaten on the go — it’s a daily ritual of connection. Meals are shared around the table, often with extended family or friends, especially on weekends.
How to: Even if you’re dining alone, sit down without a screen. Set the table, light a candle, use a real plate. Give yourself that moment to slow down, eat without distraction, and eat with all five of your senses. You’ll find your meal feels more like a ritual than a routine.
2. Choose Quality Over Quantity
A defining feature of French culture is a deep appreciation for quality — in food, clothing, skincare, and beyond. A French woman would rather own one beautiful blouse than five she doesn’t love. The same applies to meals: a small portion of exquisite cheese over a mountain of mediocre.
Start by choosing the best ingredients and items your budget allows. You may find yourself consuming (and spending) less — but enjoying far more.
How to: Each week, swap one “filler” item for a better-quality version — good butter, handmade soap, real linen napkins. As quality replaces clutter, you’ll feel calmer and more content with less.
3. Learn To Cook Simple French Food
You don’t need a culinary degree to cook like the French. Start with rustic, comforting recipes like soupe au pistou, a peach galette, or even herbed mushrooms. The beauty is in the simplicity and the ingredients themselves.
French cooking isn’t about perfection — it’s about rhythm, seasonality, and love. If you are ready to get started, you can see my French cookbook recommendations on my Resources page.
How to: Choose one new French recipe each month and truly master it. Start with my French Pantry Starter Kit so that you always have the basics on hand. With practice, you’ll see how rewarding (and doable) real French cooking can be.
4. Use Your Beautiful Things Daily
We’ve all stored away special dishes and linens for “some day.” The French don’t do that. A simple weeknight dinner deserves a real glass of wine, a cloth napkin, and a bit of beauty.
How to: Tonight, serve your meal on real plates, or use your linen napkins for breakfast. It takes no more time, yet transforms even an ordinary day into something beautiful. Use your treasured things now — they’re meant to be lived with.
5. Present Yourself With Care
French people tend to dress with quiet intention — even to the market. You don’t need to wear lipstick and heels to do the school run, but slipping into something presentable, clean, and intentional adds dignity to the day.
How to: Create a small “getting ready” ritual. Five minutes to brush your hair, apply lip balm, and put on a favorite piece — not for others, but to honor yourself. You’ll move through your day with quiet confidence.
6. Create Gentle Self Care Rituals
My French grandmother never skipped her morning routine — face cream, a spritz of eau de cologne, a quick tidy of her hair. It was never rushed, and always done with care.
How to: Choose one small ritual that feels restorative — hand cream before bed, morning tea in the sun, or five quiet breaths before you start your day. Self-care doesn’t need to be elaborate; consistency matters more than indulgence. Over time, these pauses create steadiness and quiet joy in daily life.
7. Walk More
The French walk — a lot. Villages and cities are built for pedestrians, and errands often happen on foot. Even if you live in a car-centric area, you can choose to park further away, take the stairs, or stroll after dinner.
How to: Park a little farther away, take a post-dinner stroll, or walk to do one weekend errand. French movement is natural — less about counting steps, more about moving through your day intentionally. Start where you are, and you’ll soon notice your energy (and perspective) shift.
8. Shop Seasonally and Locally
Growing up, I spent most of my summers in France. Every Sunday, we’d walk the open-air market and my grandmother would plan our meals based on what was in season and what looked best. Produce was fresh, local, and full of flavor.
How to: If you have a farmer’s market nearby, make it part of your weekly rhythm. If not, shop what’s in season at your grocery store and choose local brands when possible. Look into seasonal produce boxes from local co-ops or use an app like The Seasonal Food Guide to see what’s fresh in your area. You’ll discover that food tastes better — and cooking feels easier — when you follow the seasons.
9. Savor a French Breakfast
In France, breakfast is simple: coffee or tea, fresh bread or a pastry, maybe fruit. It’s not rushed, and it’s not eaten in the car.
How to: Try eating breakfast at the table with a real cup and plate. Toast a slice of good bread, add butter and jam, and sit for five quiet minutes. You’ll begin your day grounded instead of rushed.
10. Explore The Arts
The French have a deep appreciation for the arts — music, theater, visual art, literature. It’s considered essential to a full life.
How to: Visit a local museum, play classical music while cooking, or keep a book of poetry by your bed. The goal isn’t expertise — it’s simply exposure to beauty. Over time, you’ll start to notice more color, rhythm, and inspiration in your everyday life.
11. Eat Whole, Minimally Processed Foods
French markets are filled with vibrant produce, real cheeses, butchered meats — not packaged, engineered snacks.
How to: Start by simplifying your pantry: whole grains, seasonal produce, and high-quality fats. Replace one processed pantry item each week with its whole-food counterpart — real cheese instead of pre-shredded, olive oil instead of margarine. Over time, you’ll have replaced nearly all of your processed foods with wholesome, flavorful ingredients — and you’ll realize how much taste (and joy) you were missing all along.
12. Put Down Your Phone
One of the loveliest things about France is seeing people talk to each other at cafés — without a phone in sight.
How to: Start with one phone-free habit: meals, walks, or evenings after 8 p.m. Set “downtime” on your phone and try leaving it in another room for an hour each day. You’ll be amazed at how much calmer and more connected you feel.
13. Carry Reusable Shopping Bags
In France, single-use plastic bags are largely a thing of the past. Bring your own — and do your part.
How to: Keep two fabric bags in your car and one in your purse so you’re always prepared. I like to tuck a few foldable ones in my bag — they take up almost no space and are always there when I need them. Small choices like this make it effortless to move toward sustainable living.
14. Buy Fresh Flowers
A small bouquet of seasonal blooms brightens your home and your mood. The French often pick up flowers from the market as naturally as they pick up cheese. No occasion needed.
How to: Pick up a small bouquet at the grocery store or cut flowers or greenery from your yard. Place it in a jar or vase where you’ll see it often. You’ll smile each time you walk by.
15. Add Le Goûter To Your Day
Le goûter is a small afternoon snack — usually sweet, and often shared by children and adults alike. It can be something simple: a crêpe, a piece of dark chocolate, or a fruit compote.
How to: Around 4 p.m., take a short pause for something sweet — a square of chocolate, a bit of fruit, or a cup of tea with a cookie. It’s a moment to reset for the rest of the day, a gentle reminder that pleasure and balance can beautifully coexist.
16. Host Friends For Apéro
Before dinner in France, friends often gather for an apéritif — a simple drink and a few salty bites. It’s not about the food or the formality; it’s about pausing to connect.
How to: Choose one evening this month to invite a friend or two. Pour a glass of wine, Champagne, or sparkling water with lemon, and set out a small bowl of olives or nuts. No cooking, no dishes — just good conversation and the simple pleasure of being together.
17. Serve Cheese After Dinner
In France, cheese isn’t just a snack — it’s a quiet ritual that slows the pace of the meal. After dinner, a small cheese board appears with one or two varieties, a simple knife, and good bread.
How to: After your next meal, try offering a small selection of cheese — perhaps a creamy brie and a firmer Comté — with slices of baguette. There’s no rush, no presentation required. Enjoy it slowly, and notice how the evening feels more relaxed and complete.
18. Invest In French-Made Home Goods
Simple, well-made tools add beauty and function to everyday life — a wooden spoon worn smooth by use, a Marseille soap that smells faintly of olive, a glass that catches the light just right. These small details make daily routines feel special.
How to: Choose one or two French-made pieces that you’ll use often — perhaps an Opinel paring knife, a Olive wood spreaders, or a few La Rochère tumblers. You don’t need many things, just good ones that bring quiet joy when you reach for them. Here are a few suggestions. These are things that we use in our house every day.
19. Make Time for What You Love
The French prioritize the personal: a creative hobby, gardening, baking, or a quiet passion. You don’t need to monetize it — just enjoy it.
How to: Set aside one hour this week for something you truly love, without a goal or deadline. Paint, bake, read, or arrange flowers — whatever makes you feel alive. Protect that time like an appointment with yourself.
20. Work To Live, Don’t Live To Work
France values le temps libre — free time. That doesn’t mean laziness; it means knowing life is more than productivity. Where you can, protect your evenings. Say no to overwork. Choose rest.
How to: Create a clear end to your workday — close your laptop, and step away. Use that time to cook, walk, or connect with family. Let leisure be part of your rhythm, not a rare reward.
21. Slow Down
This may be the most important tip. Slow down your meals, your routines, your days. Breathe between tasks. Let life unfold with less rush.
How to: Build a little margin into your day. Wake up ten minutes earlier so breakfast isn’t rushed. Leave five minutes sooner so you’re not hurrying. Move through your tasks with steadiness instead of speed. Giving yourself extra time is the simplest way to bring calm — and a little French ease — into everyday life.
22. Play French Music
Put on Édith Piaf or Carla Bruni while you cook, or jazz from a Parisian café playlist. Let music set the tone for a slower pace.
How to: Make a small playlist of French songs — classics, café jazz, or modern favorites — and play it while you cook, tidy, or unwind. The rhythm instantly softens the mood and brings that unhurried French feeling into your home, wherever you are.
23. Grow a Potager Garden
A French potager is a kitchen garden — herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers, often found in the countryside. You don’t need land to grow a few herbs. A French kitchen garden can live on a balcony or windowsill. Fresh herbs elevate any dish — and tending to them brings joy.
How to: Start small with a pot of basil or thyme on your windowsill. Water it, snip fresh leaves for cooking, and add more pots as you go. You’ll connect more deeply with your food and the seasons.
24. Stay Informed and Curious
Conversation in France often turns to current events, books, and thoughtful ideas. Stay curious. Read the news. Learn something new. It’s part of a rich, full life.
How to: Subscribe to a weekly news digest, listen to a French podcast, or read one thoughtful article each morning. Staying curious keeps your mind alive and helps you engage in more meaningful conversations — the kind that connect you to the world.
25. Find Joy in the Everyday
This is l’art de vivre. Set the table, pour your coffee into a real cup, open the window, and let in the morning air. You don’t need to move to France to live like this. Just choose to live beautifully, wherever you are.
How to: Choose one ordinary moment — your morning coffee, setting the table, or folding laundry — and make it lovely. Play soft music, bring in a few fresh flowers, or use your favorite dishes for no reason at all. When you treat daily moments with care, they stop feeling routine and start feeling like quiet celebrations of life.
Living like the French isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being present. Choose one or two practices to start with. Let them become second nature. Over time, you’ll find your days feel more beautiful, balanced, and joyful.
À bientôt,
-Gaby
Here is a FREE Printable! Click the picture below to download your checklist of these 25 lifestyle habits to keep close by — simple French traditions that bring both joy and well-being into everyday life.
it was so very helpful, thank you.
Hi! I’m glad that it is helpful, you’re welcome. 🙂