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Beyond the Bicycle Lanes: 5 Mindfulness Practices for a Smoother Expat Journey in the Netherlands
You did it. You navigated the paperwork, found a place to live, and are starting your exciting new chapter in the Netherlands. The land of stroopwafels, picturesque canals, and a healthy work-life balance awaits. But as many internationals quickly discover, the biggest challenges aren't always the external ones. The real journey happens within.
Adapting to a new culture, especially one as famously direct as the Dutch, can be a whirlwind. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or like you're just going through the motions. The secret to not just surviving but thriving here isn't just about learning the language or mastering the bicycle lanes - it's about managing your inner world.
Mindfulness, the simple practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment, is a powerful tool for any expat. It helps you create a pocket of calm amidst the chaos, acting as a mental anchor in the sometimes-stormy seas of cultural adaptation. Instead of being tossed around by every new challenge, you learn to find your footing, wherever you are.
To get you started, here are five simple, practical mindfulness exercises tailored for life in the Netherlands.
1. The “Dutch Directness” Decoder: Mindful Observation
You have probably already encountered it: that straightforward, no-frills communication style in the workplace or a local shop. It can feel blunt or even personal at first, causing you to question yourself or feel criticized. Mindful Observation is a technique to help you respond thoughtfully, rather than react emotionally.
- The Practice: The next time you receive feedback that feels surprisingly direct, take a silent internal pause. Before you formulate a response or feel a rush of emotion, simply observe. Notice the specific words that were said, almost like you're a neutral researcher studying a new dialect. Then, turn your attention inward. Notice the physical sensations in your body - a tightening in your chest, a warmth in your face, a knot in your stomach. By observing these internal and external events without immediate judgment, you create a crucial space. In that space, you can remind yourself that this communication style is often rooted in cultural values of efficiency and honesty, not personal malice. This practice allows you to extract the valuable information from the feedback without the unnecessary emotional baggage.
2. The “Vrijmibo” Wind-Down: Setting Work-Life Boundaries
The Dutch are masters of work-life balance. The Friday afternoon drink, or vrijmibo, signals the definitive end of the work week. Yet, for many ambitious internationals, the pressure to prove oneself can make it hard to truly disconnect. How do you mentally "clock out" when your mind is still racing with deadlines, emails, and to-do lists?
- The Practice: At the end of your workday, take five minutes for a “Vrijmibo Wind-Down”. Close your laptop. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take three deep, slow breaths. This is scientifically proven to activate your body’s relaxation response and signal to your brain that it is safe to disengage from high-alert mode. With each exhale, consciously release a work-related thought. Visualize yourself placing your work tasks, worries, and ambitions into a mental box, closing the lid, and leaving it securely at the office until Monday morning. This simple ritual is a powerful act of boundary-setting. It trains your brain to understand that your time is now your own, allowing you to be fully present with your friends, family, or hobbies and truly embrace the restorative Dutch approach to personal time.
3. Sensory Grounding: From Expat Overwhelm to Present Moment
Trying to find the right train platform at Amsterdam Centraal, navigating a busy Albert Heijn supermarket, and deciphering official letters from the Belastingdienst, all at once, can lead to severe sensory overload. This is the breeding ground for anxiety. When you feel overwhelmed, this technique can bring you back to the safety of the present moment in under a minute.
- The Practice: Pause wherever you are. Name (silently to yourself) five things you can see (the pattern on the floor, the colour of a sign). Then, name four things you can feel (your feet on the ground, the fabric of your coat, the weight of your bag). Name three things you can hear (a tram bell, distant chatter, your own breathing). Name two things you can smell (rain on the pavement, fresh coffee). Finally, name one thing you can taste (the lingering taste of mints or water). This 5-4-3-2-1 method is a neurological hack. It pulls your attention away from the spiralling stories of "what if" in your mind and anchors you firmly in your immediate, tangible environment. It calms the storm of anxious thoughts, giving you the clarity to tackle the very next step, and only that one.
4. Mindful Commuting: Finding Calm in Transit
Your daily commute, whether by bicycle, tram, or train, is a perfect, built-in opportunity for mindfulness. We often treat this time as "wasted" and try to fill it by scrolling through social media or mentally running through our to-do list. This, however, just extends our workday and stress levels. You can, however, transform this time into a moment of peace and observation.
- The Practice: Dedicate the first five to ten minutes of your commute to being fully present. If you are on a bicycle, feel the wind on your face, the rhythm of your pedaling, and the subtle shifts in balance. On the tram, resist the urge to put in headphones. Instead, listen to the symphony of the city without putting a story to any sound. Notice the light changing as you move through different neighbourhoods, from historic gables to modern architecture. This practice reduces stress and allows you to arrive at your destination feeling more centred and observant, rather than frazzled and already tired. It turns dead time into found time.
5. Cultivating “Gezelligheid” Within
Gezelligheid is a famously untranslatable Dutch word that embodies a feeling of coziness, conviviality, and deep contentment. While it is often associated with cozy cafés and quality time with friends, waiting for these external factors to feel good can be a slow process, especially when you are new. The true secret is to gently release the need to rely on external circumstances for your source of happiness. It is about learning you can cultivate this feeling of contentment within yourself, rooting it in your own awareness rather than a fleeting outside event.
- The Practice: At the end of each day, take a moment with a journal or your notes app to identify one "gezellig" moment you experienced. It doesn't have to be grand. It could be the unexpected warmth of your first cup of coffee, a genuine smile from a stranger at the train station, or the quiet beauty of a canal at sunset. By consciously seeking out and acknowledging these small, positive moments, you are actively training your brain to notice the good that already exists in your new life. This practice of self-compassion and gratitude creates an inner source of warmth and belonging, a portable sense of home that you can carry with you, no matter how far you are from your country of origin.
Your journey as an international in the Netherlands is a unique and rewarding adventure, filled with both wonderful highs and, sometimes, challenging lows. Remember to be patient and compassionate with yourself through it all. By incorporating these small moments of mindfulness into your daily routine, you are giving yourself a powerful gift. You are ensuring that you are not just living here, but truly building a happy, resilient, and fulfilling life from the inside out.
About the Author:
Helen Robert is a writer, coach, and creator of the newly launched Harmony Within guidebook series. Through her writing on presence, peace, and inner transformation, she shares simple, effective tools to help people find calm—especially expats adjusting to the beautiful challenge of life in a new home. You can discover the Harmony Within guidebook at https://beacons.ai/helenrobertstudio and follow her journey on Instagram @helenrobert.studio , Substack, and YouTube.
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