Editor’s Note: Aimee’s commitment to positive mental health shines through as she continues to support the blog with regular contributions. Her plate is full but she makes time for us and we’re grateful.

“Winter is For the Sun”

I read an article recently called “Winter is for the sun: What a German ice cream shop taught me about true meaning of work-life balance” by Sruthika Menon. In it, the author posed an interesting question: What are we actually working for?

In Germany, ice cream shops shut down for nearly half the year. Every winter the shutters close, the chairs vanish, and the storefronts sit empty until spring. For years, the author couldn’t understand how these places survived. Why not sell hot chocolate in winter? Or waffles? Or rent out freezer space?

Then one day, the author asked a local shop owner what she does all winter. Her answer was beautifully straightforward: “We close…I spend four months in a warm country.” No side hustle. No winter menu. No growth strategy. Just sunshine.

In that moment, the author realized something important: While many people obsess over maximizing work and business opportunities, some choose to maximize their life instead.

The ice cream shop wasn’t just a seasonal business — it was a lifestyle choice.

Hustle Culture is Exhausting

The article struck a chord with me as I am starting to find our constant hustle culture exhausting.

Society tells you if you can’t make ends meet with one full time job, you should get a side hustle.

If you run your own business, you should keep expanding.

If you somehow manage to put any extra money aside at all, never spend it frivolously. Whatever you do, don’t treat yourself to a vacation…that money should be invested, so it can continue to grow.

So when exactly do we get to stop, rest, and actually enjoy our lives…and the money we work so hard for?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wait until I retire to actually live my life. And the way the economy is now, many of us may never be able to afford retirement.

And sadly, many of us may not live long enough to see retirement age, with all of the extra stress that our hustle culture imposes on us.

So take that vacation.

Eat the ice cream.

And get outside and enjoy the sunshine whenever possible.

Reference: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/winter-is-for-the-sun-what-a-german-ice-cream-shop-taught-me-about-true-meaning-of-work-life-balance-4071453