The idea is that it isn’t just a time to throw coffee down you; but a moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life. When done correctly, the wellbeing term involves taking dedicated time out of your schedule to relax, contemplate and rejuvenate with a warm drink and good company.
“Fika is the Swedish coffee break”, explains Anna, “the word can be used as both a noun and a verb, but it usually indicates a small break, usually with coffee but you can also have tea, and often something to eat along with it.”
This can be done at any time – and fika can take anything from 10 minutes to several hours, depending on how good you are at the practice.
“I think that the concept of fika resonates with so many people because it's the opportunity to take a few minutes in the day to slow down,” explains Anna.
“Unfortunately, in our modern lifestyles, we rarely take time to do that. Making time for fika is not only making time for coffee and a treat, but it's making time to slow down with friends. We can all benefit from that!”
- evening standard
Anna Brones, author of Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break describes the practice as an "important part of Swedish culture".
"In workplaces in Sweden, there's usually a fika break in the morning and afternoon," she explains.
"A lot of places will even have a 'fika room' - essentially a break room. But a coffee break in Sweden isn't just coffee in a takeaway cup consumed in front of the computer; it's a time to step away from work and converse with colleagues."
"I think that helps improve the workplace, because it allows people to check out mentally from work for a few minutes, which allows them to return refreshed. The social aspect is also incredibly important."
"Every Friday at 2pm we get together as a team. It's an opportunity to slow down, come together for a face-to-face and interact. It's a cultural thing for us now."
Sarah Carter, who works for fika-friendly marketing business Social Response, found the same thing. "A lot of people in the office were feeling a bit stressed, and we were all getting a bit sharp with each other."
"We introduced fika as a way of having a moment to relax and talk to your workmates. If people were having external problems, or just stress, someone might pick that up."
"Work talk is prohibited in fika. It forces you away from our work so you can reevaluate things and prioritise tasks when you do return.
The essential part is making a little space in your day to take a break.
"In our modern, hectic lifestyles, this is the part that is important: that we take a few moments to slow down in our day and make time to just sit and appreciate the moment."
-I news
Only last week, I was watching a Swedish detective series where they were introducing a new colleague to the police workforce. In the middle of intense problem solving, someone casually mentioned, that fika-rummet (room) is on the left. That’s how vital fika it to the Swedes, it’s even included in the screenplays of tv-shows!
It can all be very high-tech and modern or romantically old-fashioned. Everyone can find their own favourite places to spend a perfect fika-moment.
-isango.com
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