Hidden stress of expat life: How moving abroad can affect your nervous system

Moving to another country can be one of the most exciting chapters of your life. A new city, people, opportunities and a chance to experience another culture. For many expats in the Netherlands, it’s an incredibly positive experience. But even positive change is still change.

A lot goes into building a life abroad. You might not necessarily feel stressed, but your body can be dealing with far more change than you realise.

Understanding how your nervous system responds to this can help you feel better and get more out of living abroad.

Your nervous system is constantly adapting

Your nervous system is your body’s communication and coordination network. It constantly receives information from your environment and helps regulate processes including breathing, heart rate, digestion, hormones and emotional responses.

When life becomes demanding, your nervous system shifts towards a more alert state. This is normal and useful. It helps you focus and respond to challenges.

Stress itself isn’t necessarily bad, in fact, it is part of how we grow. Stress your muscles in the gym and, with enough recovery, they become stronger.

However, problems can arise when increased demands continue without enough opportunity and time to recover. Moving abroad can create exactly this situation.

You might change jobs, move house and leave your support network all within a few weeks. Suddenly you’re navigating a new healthcare system while also dealing with Dutch bureaucracy and trying to figure out which of the 47 nearly identical bottles in Albert Heijn is actually dishwashing liquid.

Then there are physical changes. Maybe you’re suddenly cycling everywhere, working from a different desk and regularly travelling home to see friends and family. All those hours in planes, trains and tiny airline seats add up.

Individually, these things might not seem significant. Together, they give your body a lot to deal with.

Sometimes you notice it in your body first

Stress doesn’t exist only in our thoughts. The brain and body are constantly communicating, so sustained stress can show up physically too.

You might carry more tension in your shoulders or jaw, breathe more shallowly or find it harder to properly switch off. Your sleep may suffer, or your body might simply feel more tired and tense than it used to.

These can be signs that your nervous system is spending too much time in a sympathetic or “fight-or-flight” state. This response is brilliant if you need to escape a bear. It’s less useful when the “bear” is your inbox or a letter from the Gemeente that you don’t understand.

Rather than trying to eliminate stress entirely, it is more useful to look at the balance between demand and recovery. Ask yourself: What am I regularly doing that helps my body shift out of “go mode” and into “rest mode”?

Build recovery into your life

Supporting your nervous system doesn’t need to be complicated.

Movement is a great place to start. Walk, cycle, dance, lift weights or practise yoga. Your body was designed to move, and finding regular movement you enjoy is especially valuable if most of your workday involves sitting behind a screen.

Sleep matters enormously too. Relatively consistent sleeping and waking times, getting daylight early in the day and spending some time away from screens before bed can all support a healthier sleep rhythm.

And don’t underestimate community. Moving abroad often means leaving behind a network you spent years building. Finding your people in a new city takes time. Joining a sports club, taking a class, volunteering or simply making an effort to regularly see friends can make a real difference.

Recovery doesn’t necessarily mean lying on the sofa doing absolutely nothing. Creative pursuits, hobbies, laughter, time in nature and simply having fun can all give your body opportunities to come out of alert mode.

Book an appointment with Solar Chiropractic

Look beyond the symptom

A sore back, tight neck or recurring headaches might be what first gets your attention. And that makes sense, since symptoms are often your body’s way of letting you know that something needs attention.

But instead of looking at a symptom in isolation, it can help to consider the bigger picture. How are you moving? How well are you sleeping and recovering? How much stress are you under? And how well is your body adapting to everything you’re asking of it?

Holistic approaches such as chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture, and other somatic practices can help you better understand what’s going on and support how your body moves and functions.

Chiropractors often see symptoms as just one part of the picture. The goal isn’t simply to feel better today, but to help your body become more adaptable and resilient for everything life abroad throws at you. 

Give yourself time to adapt

Living abroad asks a lot of you. From building new routines, relationships and experiences to learning how to function in an unfamiliar environment. Not to mention figuring out how to get a BSN when you don’t have a phone number because you can’t get a bank account because you don’t have a BSN?

Your body is adapting alongside you. So get outside, move your body, prioritise sleep, find your people and have some fun. Give yourself opportunities to slow down. And remember that looking after your health doesn’t have to begin when you’re already struggling.

After all, moving abroad isn’t just about surviving Dutch bureaucracy or the occasional near-death experience in a bike lane. It’s about having the energy and resilience to enjoy the adventure.