How To Rest Like A German

One thing I've noticed is that rest is valued very differently depending on the culture in which you are in and also depending on which generation you belong to.

In this video I cover 5 points regarding rest which have really stood out to me since living here in Germany.

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About Me:
I am a Brit (from England) who lives in Germany. After completing University in the UK I moved to China where I taught English for two years. I’ve learned a thing or two about cultural integration, language learning and everything else that goes with upping sticks and moving to a foreign country. I make videos about cultural, language and life and tend to pose a lot of questions. Join me on my exploration of life abroad.

#rest #recharge #livingingermany

[ayranci]

it's so crazy that this channel (this might mean: you) is philosophical, a really deep conversation with a cool/daily life attitude. I definitely appreciate your effort on this channel. thanks, for all.

[anutillman]

Free Sundays! They would deserve their place on this too! Very essential aspect regarding recharging and German lifestyle, I think. And, one of the things I have learned to appreciate in Germany very much.
When I think of my native country, where one can shop 24/7 and the line between work and off has become blurred, and now having experienced the German way, I have begun to believe, that Germans' healthy respect for the need of regular rest and recharge could be one of the factors behind this country's traditionally good economic success.
When I first came here, I was chocked to realize that I actually had trouble to slow down for Sunday and rest. I felt guilty not being productive. I then soon decided to get Germanized in that regard and learn to spend my Sundays like Germans. Getting outdoors and have a coffee and cake. Now after five years, I can't think of working on Sunday, or taking care of responsibilities.
And I lecture my friends back home on the importance of rest...

[Altonahh]

What I like about your videos is that it's not about listing the typical clichés that most others do, but about diving deeper into people's souls and understanding how they work. I assume that your very good knowledge of German has helped with this and I think it's wonderful that you've gone down the path of learning the language and seem to feel comfortable in my home country.

[ane-louisestampe]

We rest differently, yes. I know supermarket ques stress out a lot of people, but on busy days, I sometimes pick the longest que at the check out. Here I stand - and I can't help it 😇
No kids screaming for sandwiches, no bosses shouting shouting for copies, no neighbours asking for help, no friends wanting attention. Just five minutes of absolute inactivity, where I can stare in to space and "emty my head"

[exploringunchartedwaters]

Burnout has become a big thing since the pandemic, I for one suffer from it. A lot of the time I end up going into my default reaction, which is to just stay at home and do nothing as a way to "recharge", when in fact it is doing the opposite. I find when I go out for a walk or just around the town, I end up having more energy and feeling better.

[Kartoffelsuppe_m_Wursteinlage]

To keep sunday as a rest day, is an important aspect.
Have a restful sunday! ;)

[PEdulis]

To me, taking "strategic breaks" as you called it is very important. Often, people feel they cannot rest because they have too much to do which then results in getting less done than if you had taken a break and used the energy gained through that to do whatever you do more efficiently. As the old Zen proverb puts it: "You should meditate for an hour every day. Except for when you don't have time for it, then you should meditate for 2 hours a day."

[broetchenahoi]

Thank you for this insightful video! 50+ German female here; one thing I'd like to add to your list of "active rest" is creativity, play or generally doing something just for the fun of it. I love to sing and am part of two loose crews of musicians who meet and do jam sessions. We improvise, making up what we play in the moment. Just for the fun of it, for practice too, but mainly just to hang out together and because playing music together is such a joy. Whether it's playing music, painting, fishing, journaling, going to a salsa class, going to see football (or whatever kind of sports) matches with friends - doing activities just for the fun of it, to get out of the house and into a mode other than work, chores and To Do lists; into a different mode mentally and physically = uplifting and energizing! "Play" is an essential part of what a sweet and delicious life looks like for me. :-D

[ulrichjahn]

Took me some minutes to realize you were in Bamberg.
A very nice city to rest in. Either passive or active.

[skywalker]

Jawohl! And there I was grabbing a glass at the end of the video! Rest and relaxation are forms of replenishing the Soul's ambitions 😊

[Hongaars]

Possibly others have also wondered about your approximate age…thanks for the reveal….since I’m in my mid fifties and experienced occupational burnout to such a degree that I no longer work in my profession, listening to your calming voice and hearing your wise insights makes me wonder in what space you shall be by the time of your fifties..what you verbalise isn’t rocket science but you’d be amazed at how many people don’t have the capacity to encapsulate these concepts….thank you for all your uploads….

[herbertgonswa]

A friend of mine allways said, i do it later when i'm retired. He died with 52 and i still miss him, so don't forget to live.

[OneLifeIsNotEnough-dp]

Another great topic! Saturday is my fun day, sunday is my relax day. On saturday i am a social butterfly and active, i go out and meet friends. On sunday i take care of my body and soul. I love my alone time. Going for walks in the forest, biking or just stroll around. And i think a lot while doing that. Clear my head. On monday i feel refreshed and im excited for the new working week. But it took me a long way to get to this point tbh. A Burnout, depression and a long time therapy was the price i had to pay for my mistakes in my younger adult years. Your thoughts are on point. We are no machines. We need rest and breaks. Tyvm for your wonderful channel. 😊

[neilfromcork]

When I go hiking with friends, there is an obvious difference in the tone of conversations before and after the hike.
On the way to the hike, people might seem a little tense, negative.
On the way home the conversations are much more optimistic and relaxed.

[bibbiblocksberg]

I enjoy your videos! Vielen Dank! yes, rest is important and I wish I did know that when I was younger and had a family. Now I am catching up: I have to take so much time to feel good and thankfully that is paying off. There is something I'd call a life time burn out. Our body/mind/soul complex needs to recharge, especially when working in stressful environments and that is certainly the case in Germany.

[Kartoffelsuppe_m_Wursteinlage]

I will have a walk with the dogs and afterwards I will sit in the beergarden under the Linden trees.
A famous old song about resting under Linden sung:
"Und seine Zweige rauschten, als riefen sie mir zu
Komm her zu mir, Geselle, hier findst du deine Ruh
Hier findst du deine Ruh"

[Kartoffelsuppe_m_Wursteinlage]

Right now I'm sitting in the garden on a bench in the shade and I'm happy about the many young sparrows that are making a loud chatter and flapping noise. The dogs lie in the shade and wait for the evening to go for a walk.
Real relaxation and rest seems trivial. No, I don't have to bungee jump into any ravines.

[familiecole]

I think this presentation very much reflects your current status!
For many a strategic break is a luxury.
For example, having children means holidays are fixed. Not only are they planned for us, they are also taken with no regard to parental occupation and commitment! And working as a doctor means that even a ‘normal’ weekend is not a given; many in the profession are lucky if they can take their full holiday entitlement let alone accommodate them strategically in their lives. In addition, I personally worked as a freelancer, working seven days per week until the project was complete, for months on end. Getting tired and recharging batteries isn’t an option.
We’re both therefore a touch prickly on the subject of ‘burnout’.
I hope you don’t take this as a criticism as your presentations are beautifully constructed and energising. I simply wish to transport you into another world!

[richharvey]

On the point of sick pay. A company i worked for back in the UK would reward financial bonuses to those who's attendance wasn't mared by sicknesses. It was a horrid idea as you would have employees turning up for their shifts who clearly should of been either on medical leave or for their mental health sakes. Alot of people left through burnout and injury pruely because their didn't want to lose that bonus.

[xelakram]

Willkommen zurück nach Deinem kurzen Urlaub mein Lieber! Ich hoffe wirklich, dass Du eine schöne Zeit hattest.

Als Antwort auf Deine Frage zum Thema Ruhe möchte ich Dir sagen, daß es für mich sehr wichtig ist, jede Nacht ausreichend Schlaf zu bekommen. Meiner Meinung nach gibt es nichts Besseres für die Gesundheit als ausreichend und guten Schlaf zu bekommen.