Aside from walking everywhere, weather shifts, and cultural differences, here are 8 things I had to adapt to after moving to Sweden.
Most of the adjustments I’ve experienced here center around one common theme: convenience. In the U.S., convenience is king. From driving everywhere, one-day Amazon delivery, and fast food with drive-thrus, to foods loaded with preservatives to reduce grocery trips, and an abundance of single-use plastics, everything is designed for ease and speed. In Sweden, the pace of life and focus on sustainability have made me reconsider how we prioritize convenience.
1. Time Scheduled Laundry
In the U.S., it’s usually expected, if not assumed, that an apartment will have its own washer and dryer. Shared laundry facilities are rare, unless you’re in a college area or a big city with older buildings.
In contrast, in Sweden, it’s quite common for apartment buildings to have shared laundry facilities. Residents typically need to schedule a time each week to do their laundry.
2. Mental Conversions
The U.S. has always stood apart by not adopting the metric system. Therefore, living in Sweden requires me to do a bit of mental gymnastics. Beyond the different units of measurement, Swedes also use a calendar week system. This means that when planning something or scheduling a meeting, it’s referenced by one of the 52 weeks of the year, which adds another layer of adjustment.
Calendar week: Are you free to get coffee week 36 at 14:00?
C to F: Celsius was actually invented by Swedish astronomer and physics Anders Celsius. This isn’t just for weather, but on the daily for baking. This conversion always brings me back to my chemistry days.
Kg to pounds: This is especially hard at the gym, when I’m just looking for a set a weights I can manageably use.
SEK to USD: This one is easy, as you usually just divide by 10. It was a shock when I saw the price of a train ticket was 150 SEK
Km to miles: I will never be great at this one.
Military time to 12-hour clock: This one is coming easier to me..but anything after 20:00 I zone out cause it’s gonna be too late for me. I also constantly need to do the time difference between Sweden and US East Coast for my job and calling friends and family. It is especially confusing when the time change happens 3 weeks apart.
Shoe and clothing size: Going from a size 6 to 37 in shoes is a huge jump.
3. Grocery Shopping
Not only did I have to navigate the differences in products at Swedish grocery stores, but I also had to adjust my shopping habits. In Sweden, I couldn’t rely on the typical big grocery trip. Instead, I found myself making multiple trips throughout the week for a few reasons.
First, I simply can’t carry all the groceries in one go — I can only buy what I can physically carry.
Second, there are far fewer preservatives in food here, which means it spoils much more quickly. I had to get into the habit of checking expiration dates more frequently and being realistic about how much I could consume before things went bad (usually within a couple of days).
Finally, Swedish apartments have significantly less food storage space than those in the U.S. Even if I had a better way to transport groceries and stock up on non-perishables, I likely wouldn’t have the space to store everything.
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4. Be Quieter in Public
I never considered myself a loud person – that is, until I found myself talking with friends on a Swedish train, at my local café, or just walking down the street. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone could hear and was listening to my conversation. However, it’s not so much that I was being loud, but rather that Swedes tend to speak much more quietly.
5. Shoes Off
I spoke about it before, but in certain establishments like the gym, salons, spas, waterparks, etc. you need to take your outdoor shoes off before entering. You either need to bring an extra pair of shoes or wear plastic covers on your shoes.
It makes sense to not bring excess dirt in, just an adjustment.
6. Being Exactly on Time
I’m used to being on time, but in the U.S., I always knew I had a little wiggle room—about 5 to 10 minutes—wherever I was going, and it wasn’t a big deal.
In Sweden, though, punctuality is taken very seriously. Public transit leaves exactly on the DOT, and if you’re even a minute late, it’s probably already gone. Swedes have a strong respect for time; being late to a gathering or party is considered very rude. You arrive exactly when they say—no earlier, no later. There’s no such thing as being fashionably late here.
7. Owning Less
This is something I’ve been working on since college—avoiding the consumerism trap. I enjoy window shopping and visiting cute, curated stores as much as the next person, but instead of mindlessly buying things, I really pause and think about whether it’s worth it.
This aligns with the Marie Kondo method of only keeping things that “spark joy,” but in Sweden, it’s more about practicality. We don’t have the space we had in the U.S. to fill our one-bedroom apartment with things, and since we won’t be here forever, the thought of moving everything is a bit of a nightmare. So, I focus on not buying cheap, unnecessary items and instead invest in quality pieces that will last for the long haul.
8. Productivity
In the U.S., productivity was something I strived for on a daily basis—at least, that’s how it was for me. I would exhaust myself trying to make my life as efficient as possible, ensuring everything was done, accounted for, and checked off my never-ending to-do list. In Sweden, though, time moves slower.
The constant need to be doing something and the pressure for productivity aren’t as prevalent. Swedes prioritize enjoying life; they take things at a slower pace and savor the small moments. That doesn’t mean they aren’t hardworking or getting things done, but there isn’t the same rush or constant urge to stay busy. Their work-life balance is excellent, but it’s more about prioritizing life itself.
