And to your convenience, you can get a social cup of coffee in numerous cozy cafes or 6 beautiful city parks. It is much more than just a coffee break, it’s an opportunity to catch up with friends while sharing coffee and a piece of Swedish cake. Borrow from the Swedish concept of a fika coffee break, and make the breaks part of a delightful ritual. This practice of taking a break, often with a cinnamon roll or some biscuits, cookies, or a fruit on the side, is central to Swedish life. The word fika can be used as both verb and a noun: you can fika at work by taking a "coffee break", fika with someone like a "coffee date".Īs such, the word has quite ambiguous connotations, but almost always includes something to eat, such as biscuits, cakes and even sweets, accompanied with the drink. In Sweden a coffee drinking pause is called fika, it means having a break, most often a coffee break, with one's colleagues, friends, date or family. Or, it could mean stepping outside to savor a coffee in fresh air, or heading to a coffee shop with a friend.Need some rest after wandering through Stockholm's beautiful Old Town and world-class museums? Then it's time for fika! Sedish Fika: meaning (Just be extra-sure you’ve turned off any desktop notifications, if you’re taking the virtual route to fika). If you’re working from home these days, that could mean spending a few minutes with a roommate at a spot that’s away from both of your computers or designated work areas, and eating a sweet that sparks joy, or even scheduling a virtual work break with a colleague to do the same, suggests Dr. Fika is a typical Swedish tradition where you take time out of your day to pause and enjoy a hot drink and a snack. And according to a small 2011 study, taking brief diversions from a cognitively difficult task may even improve your ability to focus on and perform the task once you return to it.įurther anchoring the fika tradition as a boon to mental health is the fact that it’s typically done with a co-worker, friend, or family member, and often includes a delightful treat. “Research has shown that this type of waking rest allows your brain to process information and consolidate memories, helping with clear thinking,” says Nasir. However, Swedish fikas are nothing like a coffee break in the US or UK where a solitary employee makes themself a coffee or a tea, and if you’re lucky. In a nutshell, fika is where Swedes have a coffee break. To a Swede, fika is a big part of their everyday life ( Hej Sweden ). But even if fika coffee breaks aren't a formal component of your workday, you can still embrace the concept for yourself.Īnd, as with any dedicated break during the workday, a fika coffee break can actually enhance your productivity, as it helps to prevent brain drain. As the title of the article suggests, fika is a Swedish concept. In fact, it’s such a stalwart of Swedish culture and a widely beloved activity that it’s been formally incorporated into workplace norms: Many Swedish employers abide by a practice of awarding employees five minutes of downtime for every one hour they work those time periods are typically combined into a couple fika breaks per day (usually, one in mid-morning and one in mid-afternoon). “Taking a coffee break means getting a chance to rest, recover, and reflect.” -Mai-Lis Hellénius, MD, PhDīut the fika coffee break is, of course, far from a recent invention. “Taking a coffee break means getting a chance to rest, recover, and reflect,” she says, noting that finding these peaceful moments is all the more important now, in the wake of a year-plus marked by rising burnout and pandemic languishing. While the word “fika” can be used as a verb (as in, to take a coffee break) or a noun (describing the coffee or the break itself), the concept stretches far beyond the drink, says Swedish physician and researcher Mai-Lis Hellénius, MD, PhD, who studies the ways in which certain lifestyle habits can prevent cardiovascular disease. An illustrated lifestyle cookbook on the Swedish tradition of fikaa twice-daily coffee breakincluding recipes for traditional baked goods, information and. The key to incorporating more effective breaks into your schedule? Borrow from the Swedish concept of a fika coffee break, and make the breaks part of a delightful ritual. But it’s on those days, ironically, that a moment of mindful calmness actually stands to be the most fruitful, lifting your spirits and even boosting your creativity so that you can summit the remainder of that mountain with a bit more ease. When you feel buried beneath a work mountain, the notion of taking a break often falls by the wayside. So go ahead and give yourself a break (literally) Wellness Recess will provide you with the inspo you need to add more balance- and fun-to your day. But research shows that even short breaks during the day can spell big health benefits. Hustle culture has us working harder and longer-and it’s taking a toll on our health.
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