Let’s Fika
Fika (fee-kah) is a Swedish concept. It’s a ritual, a core part of our culture, a state of mind. On the surface it’s a time for coffee and a bun (we can argue if the best bun is cinnamon or cardamom… I fall squarely in the cardamom camp) or something else small to eat. But it is more than that. There are so many layers to ‘fika’. Let me peel them back for you.
Fika is a social concept.
Fika is giving us the opportunity to take a break, to pause. It is a recharging moment.
Fika is about making the most of the day. Enjoying a moment and taking a mini break, focusing on nourishing relationships with friends, family and co-workers.
Fika a social interaction. We are social creatures, needing, craving social interaction. Fika is not a solo activity, not something done at the desk, that would just be to have a cup of coffee.
Fika brings the magic through the shared experience, sharing a moment as well as food and drink. We move our bodies, get up, get a change of scenery (or at least room), places ourselves in a different context. We chitchat, we connect.
Fika is both a noun “let’s have some fika” and a verb “let’s fika now”. And it’s such a crucial part of Swedish culture that the average Swede spends 9.5 days a year having fika.
While one can choose to fika whenever, it is part of the scheduled breaks at workplaces across the country, from the Volvo factory to teachers lounges and investment banks. The first one is around 10 am, nicely situated between breakfast and lunch. And the second scheduled one is in the afternoon, just as you feel you are running out of juice and need a recharge, usually around 3 pm. In many labor contracts in Sweden these two breaks are spelled out, in addition to a lunch break. Fika is ideally homemade. Quality ingredients and well presented. An opportunity for beauty. Many leaders in Sweden bring in homemade fika to work to share.
I’m not one to drink coffee, but I’m holding on to the fika concept, choosing tea as my beverage instead. Something that warms your soul. Ideally by candlelight. Candles set the mood, a reminder to soften and slow down, creating a cozy environment.
Fika is sustenance on so many levels: taking a break, being social, eating and drinking, slowing down, nourishing our bodies and our souls, strengthen our relationships and recharge your brain. Which is also good business sense – stronger, more connected teams do better. Workplaces where fika is institutionalized do better: happier, healthier, builds connection and belonging, prevents burnout, provides informal networking, all which impacts the bottom line.
Who will you fika with next?
