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It’s been over a year since we entered our first lockdown here in The Netherlands, and most of us are still working from home. In 2020, business publications were abuzz with rumours of major startups giving up on office life, and encouraging staff to work from home forever (looking at you, Twitter!). All too happy to give up expensive office buildings, it seemed like working from home was destined to be the future, for everyone from lawyers to software developers.

Now, however, with Zoom fatigue on the rise, firms are starting to rethink their strategies. Companies like Google, known for setting the new status quo for the startup world, plan to encourage staff to work from the office at least 50% of the time. The youngest segment of employees, millennials and Gen Z, are particularly keen to return to the social setting of the office. While for some, the lack of commute is a welcome change, many report feelings of isolation, burnout and overload. These groups are least likely to have home offices, and usually live with housemates, meaning that working from home comes with additional challenges.

It sounds like fun, until it’s our only option. “I’ve enjoyed working from home, but look forward to returning to the office where inperson interaction leads to more innovation and creativity,” says Hussein Abul-Enein, who works in tech policy. He’s not alone in this view: studies show that a change of scene can boost creativity for one-off projects, which isn’t compatible with the current stay-at-home guidelines. And when it comes to the mundane but necessary tasks like work admin, we’re at least 10% less productive outside of the office thanks to all of the distractions (think: postmen, stray cats, stray children). Storm Gibbons, a government advisor, agrees with Abul-Enein. “On balance, I prefer working in the office,” he says. “It was nice to avoid a long commute at the start of lockdown, but at this point, I’d like the chance to sit on the train and get in the zone before the start of the working day.”

It’s not just people who usually work in an office who are suffering. Molly Fitz is a mental health and psychology writer, and enjoys working from cafes and libraries around Amsterdam. “I feel more creative and can concentrate better when I’ve got external stimuli,” says Fitz. “I’m looking forward to sitting in a buzzing cafe, drinking a nice coffee while I work.”

Like it or not, we’re stuck working from home, at least for the near future. So what can we do to make the experience a little more pleasant? If you’re on a start-up budget and don’t want to spend money on sprucing up your work-fromhome space, here are some free adjustments you can make.

Create your own work-corner

If, like most of us, you don’t have the luxury of a designated home office, you can still create some separation by choosing a ‘work-corner’. Move a desk or small table into the corner of the room, and create a set-up that’s at least slightly enticing. Try adding a wall calendar, some post-its, and anything else that signifies ‘work’ to your brain. Gradually, you’ll train your mind to recognise this corner as your work space. The benefits of this are twofold: when you’re in your work-corner, your brain will understand that you’re in work mode, and you’ll be more productive. Similarly, when you finish work, tidy up your corner and retreat into the rest of your living space, your brain will understand that this is time for relaxation.

Use music to signify the end of work

If you’re struggling with work-life balance, this one’s for you. Train your brain to recognise the evening by playing the same song every day when you finish work. It only takes a few days to feel the effect — pick an uplifting song, play it every day when you finish work, and soon, the opening bars will convince your brain it’s time to chill. You can get the same effect with scent, although it takes slightly longer with work. At the end of the work day, spray the same perfume or room spray, or light the same scented candle.

Put your breaks in your work calendar

It sounds simple, but when we’re in the flow, it’s hard to remember to take a break. When you’re in the office, your colleagues all get up around midday to grab some lunch, but at home, you don’t have the same cues. Add a midmorning coffee break and a lunch break into your work calendar — and make sure you stick to it. Get up, walk around, and even better, get some fresh air in the park. Your brain will thank you.

Written by Phoebe Dodds Founder of BURO155

As I’m writing this, I am celebrating my twoyear anniversary of arriving in Europe - I spent the first week in Germany before heading north to NL. Before moving here I always read about how difficult it was to find an apartment here in the Netherlands. Knowing this, I started a few months before my departure with a serious plan to find an apartment in my new home. I made a list of all the online newspapers, websites where I could place an ad, plus I contacted real estate agencies, joined social media groups … I did it all!

But surprise, surprise! The first response I received turned out to be the apartment that I got! So for me, it wasn’t that difficult. Thank goodness!

Fast forward two years and I started looking for another apartment. The fortunate part is that I am now in the Netherlands, so I had that going for me. Still, when I decided to look for a new place, I remembered the echoes of how difficult it was going to be. Though it was actually pretty easy to find an apartment the first time around, I did not think my initial apartment-finding luck was going to carry over this time around. So this time around, I set out with the same plan: place ads, answer ads, contact real estate agencies … but honestly, that was all I had to do. Again, the first place I contacted was the place I wound up getting! I met with the landlord today and set all the particulars in order. I have the notice to my current landlord ready and right after I finish this column, I’ll be sending it to them (it’s a mother and son landlord-team).

Finding an Apartment - Take 2

While I’m sure a lot of luck and aligned stars have to do with my finding apartments, I do believe that it’s the synergy of doing a lot of things at the same time that is the key. I also had a thought process of ‘the right things are going to happen at the right time’ and a vision of there being an apartment out there that’s perfect for me. I truly believe it’s the combination of all of this that helped me twice to find an apartment here in the Netherlands, where everyone laments about how challenging it is.

My advice to those who might be looking for an apartment or who might be hesitant because you too heard the stories of how difficult it is - first, don’t be deterred by the rumours and stories you hear. Be excited about it. Be happy about the vision of you in your new apartment. The way you think and ‘see’ how this awesome new home will be is like the grease in the gears of the whole process. But thinking and dreaming about it will only get you so far. You have to actually do something to make it all come together. There are so many resources and outlets to get the word out. Almost every major city has an expat center that can help you either find available apartments or real estate agencies who specialize in expat rentals - so definitely contact them to help out. Then there are the regular rental agencies. They may not specialize in expat rentals, but they are a tremendous resource that should not be overlooked.

Outside of the agencies, local papers are a fantastic resource. I found weekly papers create a better response and are cheaper than the dailies. I not only looked in the papers but also placed ads myself saying that I am an American freelancer with two dogs looking for 1-2 rooms and named my budget. I was surprised that I got responses!

To find a new apartment here - or anywhere - just get the word out there. Tell all your friends and do the things I suggest. But above all, don’t pay much attention to the negative stories. They are only true if you make them out to be. Happy home hunting!

Early Years as ISH

At ISH we pride ourselves on putting the child at the centre of the educational journey. Nowhere is this more exemplified in our school than at the beginning of their journey at ISH, in our Early Years section, with our four, five and six-year-old children.

Our Early Years educators are leaders in the field of Early Years education in International schools, which at ISH, is rooted in children learning in a supportive play-based environment, in accordance with the philosophy of Maria Montessori. “Play is the work of the child” Maria Montessori.

We believe that a nurturing environment of play, where children are recognized as individuals, helps them develop a positive outlook on life. It lets them show us their needs, interests, feelings and ideas. This is what allows us to make the learning relevant to each individual child, and tailor their learning journey to them.

Putting the individual in a central position also allows us to celebrate and value the diversity of both students and staff.

In conjunction and complimentary to learning through play, is the importance of movement and physical activity. This is why, through our Early Years classrooms, children have continuous access to a safe outdoor space and specialised Early Years gym, as well as regular sessions in the woods and green space on our campus. They are able to be outside as much as they like or need. Amongst others, here students can make connections between their learning and their experience of the world so far. Our free-flow setting and small class sizes facilitate Co-play, where our skilled, professional and thoughtful staff play alongside a child and follow the child’s interests. This means that the child is making the decisions, guided and supported by staff who can incorporate teaching in the moments that arise.

The foundation we provide allows children to grow in confidence to be strong, capable and resilient people. This is how we believe the youngest children learn best.

The International School of The Hague www.ishthehague.nl