Introduction to the fika break
Each country has its traditions that punctuate our daily lives. If in England, the tea time punctuate the daily lives of our friends across the Channel with their much-loved Earl Grey, the Swedes have also found their equivalent: the Fika break.
Fika is a word derived from “kaffe” (the famous little café) in Swedish and which designates the gourmet break the most widespread in the country! The idea is not to have a coffee between two files but to take a REAL break, far from screens, emails, Zoom & company. Fika is more than a tradition, it is a real institution in Sweden. A real moment of sharing, where we connect, relax with colleagues while enjoying a hot drink and sweet treats, the fika break is sometimes even obligatory in certain Swedish companies.
Maybe fika is the secret to happiness in Sweden... We believe it anyway and we have even adopted it at Kusmi. Here are our secrets to motivating your colleagues and employers to welcome the fika break, a well-being break at the office.
Our advice for trying the Fika break at the office
Do you want to try the experience and convert your entire open space? Here we go, we give you the keys to evangelize the teams to this Swedish art of living!
When and how long should you take your break at the office?
Fika break lesson #1: set a time slot and stick to it! Did you know that, according to a study, 2:55 p.m. is the least productive hour in a working day? Bingo, kill two birds with one stone!
With whom ?
The fika break is a good excuse to meet collaborators with whom you do not work directly. So to create a small fika group, invite 2 colleagues that you know well and ask them to invite a person with whom you do not interact on a daily basis. Hop, snowball effect, you meet new people and you unwind together around a tea in the office ! Good idea, no?
Where to take your fika break?
THE existential question! In general, the “office” atmosphere is not very “hygge”… let’s face it! Whatever, improvise! This moment of conviviality is shared around a table, in a cafeteria, or even in a meeting room... the key to success is taking the time to sit down together around a tea in the office (or elsewhere).
How ?
Originally, the fika break was shared around a coffee, but as you can imagine, at Kusmi, we are rather trendy organic tea and herbal tea. Like us, opt for a teapot from ourorganic infusion Sweet Break.. The essential ingredient is also the pastry... mmmmmm the Swedes have really understood everything because they take the opportunity to taste delicious rollscinnamon “kanelbular”. The real secret is also, of course, to disconnect. So, you don't take your computer or your cell phone (and that feels good!). So take advantage of this break time at work to treat yourself to some pastries and hot tea.
Keep the pace!
For fika beginners, you can start by setting yourself twice a week, and then you will see... you will get a taste for it and the fika break will happen naturally every day. The more you practice, the more you will appreciate the benefits. When we tell you that a break at work is essential...believe us!
Praise of fika and the benefits of tea break in the office
Now that we know how to take a fika break at work, let's learn more about the benefits of taking a break at work. What are the benefits of taking a break at work? Are break times at work beneficial? The break tea in the office : why adopt it?
Fika increases productivity
A break scheduled at the initiative of the company, taken without feeling guilty by all employees, synchronized so to speak, will stimulate employee efficiency. Viveka Adelsward, professor at Linköping University, one of the largest in Sweden, explains that “studies show that those who take a break from work do not do less. It is precisely the opposite: these groupings can be beneficial for work efficiency.”
For his part, computer scientist and researcher Alex Pentland, who has devoted several studies to workplaces, came to the conclusion that introducing regular breaks in the company increased employee productivity by 10 to 15% and their satisfaction by 10%. Around a organic tea and gentle, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Often, colleagues talk to each other about their work and current projects. Some mention a blockage on a file, which others will be able to defuse. Conflicts that would cause tension around a meeting table resolve themselves in the fikarum (the room dedicated to fika), through a friendly discussion.
Fika stimulates creativity
It’s during informal conversations that the best ideas arise. Without fear of judgment, under cover of break from the office, we dare to express ourselves differently, we give free rein to our imagination, we allow ourselves more initiatives. Know-how is shared, skills feed off each other and emulation is quickly palpable.
A good little fika is often more effective than a long and tedious brainstorming, because it offers a distance that is essential for any healthy and fruitful reflection.
Fika promotes cohesion between teams
Around a hot drink, we feel confident, we open up more. We perceive his taciturn colleague from the open space next door through a more human prism. We exchange, we share, in short, we finally communicate.
Fika brings physical well-being
A sedentary lifestyle reduces efficiency. More and more employees remain glued to their computer for hours on end, to the detriment of their shoulders which tense up, their eyes which become blurry, their legs which become numb... Getting up, walking, breathing and going to prepare an organic herbal tea relaxes the body, to revitalize it, to bring it new energy. Fika thus reduces the feeling of stress and promotes concentration, once back at your workstation.
The benefits and profits of the(tea) break at workno longer need to be proven. What if you tried? Happiness at work is at your fingertips, for the benefit of employees and managers alike, let's grab it without further delay!