I saw the title “French Sunday” in an online article and I immediately knew what it meant before I even read it! I’ve been spending more and more time in France recently and hadn’t really noticed it at first, but Sundays in France feel different.
Everything slows down and outside, it feels still. Shops are closed, there are fewer cars on the road and without the usual noise of the week, you’re left with space to breathe and allow your shoulders to drop.
Sundays have become a day of getting those jobs done…the ones you didn’t find time for during the week and the ones to help you get ahead for the coming week. Life admin, meal prep, emails; it’s that underlying sense of needing to feel “ready” for Monday. We tell ourselves it’s a reset day, but we’re still very much in doing mode.
A French Sunday flips that idea on its head. It builds rest into the rhythm of the week, not as an afterthought, but as something essential.
Why a Slower Sunday Matters for Your Health
From a nutritional and physiological perspective, that matters more than most people realise. If you’re still in “doing” mode on a Sunday, your body doesn’t fully switch off and stays in a low-level stress response state. This will keep cortisol levels raised, which can impact digestion and can even influence your food choices. You’re more likely to eat quickly, crave convenience foods and feel less satisfied overall throughout the day.
In contrast, when you slow down, even just for that one day, your body shifts into a parasympathetic “rest and digest” state. You break down food more efficiently, absorb nutrients better and you’re far more in tune with your hunger and fullness cues.
It’s not just about what’s on the plate; it’s also about the state you’re in while you’re eating it.
What a French Sunday Actually Looks Like
What I’ve come to love is how simple it is. There’s no perfect routine and no pressure to “do it right.”
Start your morning slowly
- Coffee is something you sit down for, not carry around.
- Lunch becomes the anchor of the day, unrushed and properly enjoyed.
- The afternoon is left open, with no strict plan to fill it.
As the afternoon drifts on, there’s no real structure to it. Maybe a walk. Maybe not. Maybe a coffee that turns into sitting outside a little longer than planned. There’s an ease to it that feels unfamiliar at first, almost like you should be doing something more, which can feel uncomfortable, because you’re used to filling every gap. Slowing down can feel lazy and unproductive or worse, even a little indulgent!
But here’s the thing I’ve really noticed. By the time evening comes around, there’s a completely different feeling in your body. You’re not wired, not frazzled, not mentally running through everything you didn’t get done. You feel that you’ve had a chance to reset and that’s something to be grateful for. It’s a way of bringing your system back into balance.
Of course, there may still be some preparation for the week ahead, but it doesn’t dominate the day.
How to Create Your Own “French Sunday” (Wherever You Are)
You don’t need to be in the Loire Valley to experience this!
Start small, and make it realistic:
- Begin your morning without immediately reaching for your phone
- Sit down for at least one meal without distractions
- Leave space in your day without the need to fill it
- Choose one task to let go of or move to Monday
These aren’t big changes, but they send a powerful signal to your body that it’s ok to slow down. You’re giving yourself permission to slow down and allow your body to reset, your mind to settle and your energy to recharge, so you step into the week ahead feeling clearer, calmer and far more resilient.
And once you feel that difference, you’ll aim for it Sunday after Sunday!
Experience It for Yourself
This idea of slowing down, nourishing your body properly and creating space for a true reset is exactly what I bring into my retreats at Château de la Vigne in the Loire Valley.
It’s not about strict routines or rigid plans; it’s about learning how to support your body in a way that feels natural, sustainable and genuinely enjoyable.
If you’re ready to step away from the constant noise and experience what a slower, more intentional rhythm can do for your health, you can find out more about my upcoming retreats here.
If you’d like to read the article in The Times that caught my eye, it’s HERE!
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