After living in Germany for four years, Indian expat Himani Sharma says one of the European habits that impressed her was the ability to put down work and focus on life.In a video that went viral on Instagram, Himani reflected on the cultural differences she noticed after moving to Germany. She said one of the things she would miss most if she returned to India was the slow pace of life in Europe once the working day is over.“If I were to go back to India, one thing I would really miss is that the pace of life in Europe slows down after 6pm. It’s like the shops close, work ends and people actually go back to their normal lives,” she said.Himani admits that adapting to this lifestyle was not easy at first. Coming from India, where work often continues mentally even in private time, she found the change surprising.“To be honest, it was a culture shock for me at first because back in India, even when we see friends, our minds are still working, checking our phones, responding to messages, eating quickly, chatting for a while, and then leaving,” she explains.ID@undefined Subtitles are not available.ID@undefined Subtitles are not available.ID@undefined Subtitles are not available.As time went on, however, she came to appreciate the slower pace of European nights. She noticed that people didn’t rush into social interactions, but took the time to enjoy conversations and just be with each other.“But in Europe, people sit in cafes for hours, have a slow drink, have deep conversations, enjoy the weather, order some food and just spend time with each other. No one has been calling,” Sharma said.She added that the experience taught her the value of living in the present. “I feel like living in Europe taught me how to be fully present in the moment. To be honest, I really wish we had more of this culture in my home country,” she said.Himani reflected on this lesson in the post’s caption, writing that one of the biggest changes she’s experienced is seeing how people can “truly disconnect from work and reconnect with life.”As she prepares to move to Dubai, she says it’s a lesson she plans to inherit. For her, the most important thing is not to work less, but to live more meaningfully and make time for people outside of work.
