Balance between working and relaxing, by Katie Steeves

While there is a plethora of cultural differences that exist between the United States and Spain, one that stood out to me revolved around our differing ideas of taking time for ourselves to relax. In the United States, we have a very competitive environment which stresses success and accomplishments. There is a high sense of urgency to get things done, a feeling that there is never enough time to get everything done, and a feeling that if you relax for too long then in some way you will be left behind. However, in Spain, I feel that I am able to have a healthier balance between working and relaxing. There seems to be less of an emphasis on this idea that ‘there isn’t enough time’, and a larger emphasis on spending time with friends and family.

There are many examples that highlight this cultural difference for me, one of which is through take-out. In the United States, any restaurant you go to, there is always a ‘to go’ option where, if you don’t finish your meal or don’t have enough time to, you can take it home with you. There are also more restaurants in the United States like Panera and Chipotle that are quick and easy to grab on the go if you are in a rush. However, there are hardly any places in Spain that offer ‘take away’. In the United States, when we finish our meal, the waiter or waitress brings over the check and you leave. However, in Spain, the waiter or waitress won’t bring over the check until you request it, and you are able to stay however long you want. This promotes people spending more time hanging out with friends and family while grabbing a tapa or a cup of coffee without feeling the urgency to rush through a meal.

Another example that highlighted this difference for me revolved around our differing activities on Sunday. In the United States, we tend to experience ‘Sunday scaries’ before the week begins and will oftentimes use this day to catch up on work or errands. However, in Spain when I walk around, I see that everyone seems to be out on the street or at a restaurant socializing, instead of working. Many stores are closed and everyone seems to be spending quality time with their friends and family.

While in the United States, I do believe there is some type of balance between working and relaxing, I believe it is easy to get too wrapped up in the competitive work hard environment. I think Spaniards are more relaxed about time and prioritize spending time with loved ones. I personally believe this is one cultural difference that Spaniards may do better than Americans and something that we can work on