While coffee and tea are both popular in the UK, Sweden far exceeds us in terms of coffee consumption (2). Fika culture is likely to be one reason why Sweden tends to show less stress in its working population than the UK one 2019 study found that 34% of UK adults answered yes when asked if they experienced stress a lot the previous day, whereas only 29% of swedes answered in the affirmative to the same question (1). But the essential thing is that you do it, that you make time to take a break: that’s what fika is all about.” Essentially, fika represents a culturally ingrained understanding of the importance of taking breaks during the working day and enjoying the small pleasures of a hot drink, a baked good, and a moment to breathe, either with some quiet introspection alone, or with the social company of friends or co-workers. ![]() You can do it at home, in a park or at work. ![]() You can do it alone, you can do it with friends. It is the moment that you take a break, often with a cup of coffee, but alternatively with tea, and find a baked good to pair with it. As Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall say in Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, “Functioning as both a verb and a noun, the concept of fika is simple. One of these is the culture of fika in Sweden, which may be part of the answer to solving the problem with workplace health, mental health, and stress we have in this country.įika is a culture of coffee breaks that is universally known and beloved among the people of Sweden. Countries like Sweden are similar enough to our own that parallels can be drawn, and yet operate so differently at a governmental and cultural level that there are several interesting differences that draw attention to problems in the UK and point towards potential solutions. There are a lot of things the UK and the wider western world stand to learn from Scandinavian culture. Email us at or use the hashtag #happinesspod.This post is by Anthony Savage of Sparta Health Learn more about Anna and her work: Listen to the Creative Fuel Podcast: Read Anna’s book on Fika: Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Five Reasons to Take a Break from Screens: Why You Should Take More Time Off from Work: Tuesday Tip: Take a Break: How to Avoid Burnout – or a Breakdown: Why You Should Take a Relaxing Lunch Break: More Resources on Fika: NYT - In Sweden, the Fika Experience: Insider - A daily habit from Sweden could make you more productive at work: TED - Forget the Pecking Order at Work: BBC - The Swedish tradition that can make you happier at work: Have you tried incorporating fika in your life? Tell us how it went. Anna is also the co-author of Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break. She produces the newsletter and podcast, Creative Fuel. Learn more about Mike’s Initiative, ‘Mindful Vinyl’: Listen to Mike’s Podcast, ‘Detoxicity’: Anna Brones is a Swedish-American writer and artist. Today’s guests: Mike Heyliger is a music executive and the creator of Detoxicity, a podcast on progressive masculinity. Often, fika breaks are taken with others. Once in the morning and once in the mid-afternoon.Traditionally, fika breaks include a drink, like coffee, and a snack, but this is not required. Practice: Actively choose to take a break during your day. ![]() Later, we look at the scientific benefits of taking microbreaks and hear from Anna Brones, co-author of Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break. ![]() Our guest this week is Mike Heyliger, a music executive and self-described “workaholic.” He incorporated the Swedish tradition of fika – taking coffee and snack breaks throughout the day – into his own life, and found it not only helped him de-stress, it also shifted his mindset and enabled him to connect with others. One strategy to manage our work culture? Take more breaks. But research shows that overworking isn’t just physically and mentally draining, it can also be deadly. Link to episode transcript: Episode summary: In the United States, we’re taught that it’s a good thing to work more, and work harder. Our overworked guest tries the Swedish practice of 'Fika' – taking short coffee breaks throughout the work day. A short break does more than just fuel our bodies, it strengthens our minds.
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