Adapting to the pace of life in Malta

Hello everyone,

When you move to Malta, you may find that the pace of life is different from what you're used to. Shop opening times, working hours, sleep cycles and variations in sunlight can all have an effect on your life in Malta as an expat and require time to adapt. This transition can be a source of surprises, adjustments and sometimes even frustration for those trying to find their balance in this new environment.

Here are a few questions to help you better understand how you manage your days in Malta :

How have you managed to harmonise your own pace of life with the pace of life in Malta?

Have you felt a change in your biological rhythm (diet, sleep, energy, etc.)? How can you minimise the effects on your well-being and adapt to changes in your circadian rhythm?

How have you adjusted your sleeping habits to optimise your energy and concentration in a different environment?

Shopping, meal and activity times can differ from one culture to another. How do you manage to reconcile your personal habits with those of life in Malta? What are the benefits and challenges of these adjustments?

How do different working hours affect your productivity and quality of life? What have you done to maintain a work-life balance despite these changes?

Please feel free to share your experiences and advice on this topic.
Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
Expat.com Team

@Cheryl

We have lived here for ten years and as we are retired we spend our time just doing what we feel like doing, tend to stay at home more in summer as it's so hot..  Winter time we tend to walk to the shops and stop for coffee/beer as it's often warmer outside than it is indoors. It did not take long to get used to the slower pace of life here which is what you want when retired.

With regards shopping, we get out main shop on line and pick up the rest at the local shop, we are lucky that we get a variety of vans come round selling vegetables etc.

Meal times are similar to when we were in the UK.

The pace of living changes from one country to another and depends on diverse factors like; either you are working or on holiday, the season, if you have children or  not... Malta was a British colony therefore though it's a mediterranean country the timetable for shopping, schools ... it's like in the UK. Of course during winter shopping ends at 18-19 and streets are pretty much empty afterwards but in summertime restaurants and commerce extends their open time and the island fills up with teenagers and tourists; nighlife can last till morning in pubs. So I would say there are 2 Maltas; one for winter and another for summertime.

The pace of living changes from one country to another and depends on diverse factors like; either you are working or on holiday, the season, if you have children or not... Malta was a British colony therefore though it's a mediterranean country the timetable for shopping, schools ... it's like in the UK. Of course during winter shopping ends at 18-19 and streets are pretty much empty afterwards but in summertime restaurants and commerce extends their open time and the island fills up with teenagers and tourists; nighlife can last till morning in pubs. So I would say there are 2 Maltas; one for winter and another for summertime.
-@superluigis

Having lived here for 10 years I would say the opposite, other than larger chain stores the vast majority of shops still close for a 'siesta' in the afternoon and reopen around 4.00pm other than Sliema and Valletta and virtually all restaurants and hotels stay open throughout both Summer and Winter.

In addition the schools are totally different with schools finishing at 1.00pm throughout the school year ( 12.00 midday in June) and then close for a full 3 months from end of June to end of September.

One thing people must know about before selecting a place to live is the festas tradtions. That means during all summer there will be constant fireworks and bombs (very loud firecrackers). Depending from where you live, you can be barely bothered by them (my case) or experiencing a living hell.

Maltese people are like you should inquire about our traditions before settling in Malta (which is fair) but that one tradition is barely mentioned when you go for an internet search.

One thing people must know about before selecting a place to live is the festas tradtions. That means during all summer there will be constant fireworks and bombs (very loud firecrackers). Depending from where you live, you can be barely bothered by them (my case) or experiencing a living hell.
Maltese people are like you should inquire about our traditions before settling in Malta (which is fair) but that one tradition is barely mentioned when you go for an internet search.
-@blackcatsrunfast

Very few places where you can escape the noise of the petards, especially in Gozo.

@GozoMo


which supplier do you use for your online shopping and do they deliver to your door ?


    @GozoMowhich supplier do you use for your online shopping and do they deliver to your door ?         -@YvieCuthill

Greens and the deliver to your door, or in our case the lift, they are reliable.

We are in Gozo but they do have branches in Malta.

        @GozoMo which supplier do you use for your online shopping and do they deliver to your door ?         -@YvieCuthillGreens and the deliver to your door, or in our case the lift, they are reliable.We are in Gozo but they do have branches in Malta.        -@GozoMo


I also shop at Greens. Their Mriehel shop in Malta remains open until midnight 7 days a week.