☕ Fika: Sweden's productivity secret

At the Daily Concept, we love to write about human wellness.

Learning about the world is great, but learning how we can improve our lives and health is even better.

Earlier this week we wrote about walking as a lifestyle and the power of entering a “flow state”.

We’ve also recently explored how the concept of a “hedonic treadmill” can change the way we think about happiness & satisfaction..

Today we are going to cover the Swedish tradition of “Fika.”

What is Fika?

Fika is a social custom that brings people together for coffee & pastries twice during the workday.

On the surface, a Fika just looks like a “coffee break.”

However, it is actually an expression of a wider social philosophy that could help all of us work and live better.

According to Swedish lecturers Henrik Scander, Mia Larason, and Christina Oberg, Fika is:

Unlike in the U.S., where people often have lunch at their desk or eat take-out in their car before returning to work, Fika is about socializing with your colleagues and enjoying their company.

Swedish journalist Tsemaye Opubor explained:

The convention usually involves eating pastries, particularly cinnamon rolls or cardamom rolls, while enjoying a warm caffeinated beverage.

Fika time is even protected by Swedish law.

Swedish companies are legally obligated to give Swedish workers two fifteen minute coffee breaks. Employees are also informally expected to use the time to socialize and build networks.

However, the breaks are not only about networking.

One of the key focuses of Fika is cultivating wellness.

This is achieved by deprioritizing work-related discussions and focusing on creating a relaxed atmosphere.

Additionally, workers are generally expected not to discuss politics or religion during Fika.

A perfect encapsulation of the Fika philsophy is:

Why is Fika so important in Swedish society?

In many ways, Fika is an expression of Swedish values and cultural norms.

The idea reflects the Swedish value of “Lagom.” The direct translation of this word means “according to law, or “according to common sense”.

However, its contextual meaning is better understood as “not too much and not to little.”

In other words: it’s all about balance and moderation.

As Swedish author and photographer Lola Akinmade Åkerström said:

“Lagom in its most powerful form means “optimal”.

It signifies the ideal state for each one of us where we feel the most content and happy in our lives.”

Like Fika, Lagom involves finding harmony through balance.

Swedish culture views the pursuit of harmony as a social, rather than as an individual activity. This is why you can’t do Fika by yourself.

Fika regulates “unproductive” socializing by establishing a correct time and place for it.

By granting appropriate and measured space for the unproductive, Fika places culturally recognized limits on the pursuit of productivity. 

In doing so, it reduces stress and can make people more productive in the long-run! (the delicious pastries definitely help as well)

How does Fika impact the Swedish workplace?

The International Labour Organization found that Sweden had the ninth highest GDP per hour worked in the world. 

Workers in Sweden are actually more productive than workers in South Korea and Japan — two countries that are known for intense corporate cultures that demand long hours from their workers.

How could Fika improve productivity? 

At the heart of the Fika convention is the idea that humans are not machines. 

Unlike machines, human productivity is affected by a range of factors. 

These include mood, feelings of demotivation or inspiration, and levels of physical and psychological fatigue.

According to a Harvard Business Review article written by academics and wellness professionals:

“Depression and stress, in particular, have proved to be major sources of lost productivity.”

Demanding hyper-productivity from employees can lead to something called “productivity anxiety.”

This is a psychological phenomenon whereby a person feels that they must always be doing more work no matter how much they have already done.

In a recent survey, 80% of 1,000 recently surveyed U.S. workers reported feelings of “productivity anxiety.”

I would say that excessive productivity anxiety is one of the main problems with American culture. We are so concerned with getting ahead and becoming successful that we:

• don’t stop to smell the roses

• actually make ourselves less productive because we are so stressed out by becoming more productive

Work Less for Wellness?

Low levels of wellbeing can, in turn, make employees less productive per hour of work. Increasing working hours won’t solve this problem and can even make it worse.

Conversely, high levels of wellbeing can raise worker productivity.

A 2021 study analyzing worker productivity in advanced economies found:

“a direct, causal link from wellbeing to productivity, meaning that targeting improvements in worker wellbeing should lead to rises in labour productivity.”

ART OF THE DAY

"The Lake in the Bois de Boulogne". Felix Vallotton. 1921.