In today’s fast-paced world, it’s not easy to slow down. But after years of being overshadowed by hustle culture, slow living is making a comeback. More and more people are stepping away from a never-ending to-do list and extra-long working hours in pursuit of a more balanced lifestyle. Read on to find out why Lithuania might be the perfect place to both develop a meaningful career and live a relaxed life. 

What is slow living? 

The essence of slow living is being mindful of your time. It’s about doing what matters to you and not letting society dictate what that should be. Slowing things down in this way leads to a more balanced, meaningful life that allows you to appreciate the world around you. 

Is slow living for you? 

The busier we get, the less time we seem to have for ourselves, and the ’go big or go home’ ideal begins to lose its shine. If your current lifestyle is jam-packed with endless activities and commitments but you have the sense that you don’t have time for what matters to you, slow living has a lot to offer. 

3 reasons why Lithuania is great for slow living 

In Lithuania, we’re all about enjoying that slower way of life. Here are three reasons why Lithuania is a perfect place to escape the hustle culture without compromising a successful career.  

Career development over overtime 

In Lithuania, employers would rather have you learn new skills than work overtime. Companies here are keen to invest in employee self-development: most offer upskilling and reskilling opportunities through mentorship programmes, personal learning budgets, and training sessions. For example, at Revel Systems, employees can dedicate 10% of work time exclusively to learning new skills. Meanwhile, Baltic Amadeus gives its employees a training budget equivalent to 50% of net monthly salary each year!  

So besides competitive salaries, jobs in Lithuania come with plenty of valuable opportunities to grow and update your skills. And many employers are likely to help you shape your role into something you feel passionate about. 

Time to focus on what matters most 

Lithuania takes work-life balance seriously. With at least 20 paid vacation days and fixed working hours guaranteed and protected by law, you get plenty of opportunities to enjoy your time off. Moreover, 15 annual public holidays puts Lithuania on top of the chart of European countries with the most public holidays. So coupled with mandatory paid annual leave, there’s indeed time to celebrate.  

In Lithuania, you also get to focus on your family. With one of the most generous parental leave policies in the EU, families get plenty of time to bond. This means that in Lithuania, you get to enjoy the career you want, at a pace that’s right for you and your family.  

Green and compact cities to call home 

In Lithuania, days are never shaped by never-ending commutes and long work hours. The country’s mid-sized cities are made for slower living, their compactness cutting commute times and making everyday life more manageable. Plus, they offer a host of advantages: robust, dependable services, plenty of green spaces, competitive prices and numerous cultural events.  

Here, nature and culture is never far away. So if you fancy a morning run in the forest, a swim in a nearby lake after work, and an open-air film screening at dusk, you can do all three in a day! To find out more about the distinct characters of Lithuania’s three major cities, check out our blog post on Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda.