Want to know the secret to de-stress like a Swede? Have you ever heard the word fika? With all the Nordic countries being top ten happiest people, the chances are that you have. We are the masters of fika.

(Funnily enough, fika, in Hungarian means that you have a bat in the cave. I always thought that was funny since I’m of Hungarian descent.)

A healthy snack

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Fika is typically a coffee break with something sweet to eat. However, since we are fika friendly crowd I recommend a healthier version of sweet.

It’s a Nordic lifestyle

Taking regular breaks is also scientifically proven to help you to de-stress. It’s a lifestyle. If coffee and a treat weren’t enough for you to start your fika tradition at work, here are five other reasons.

1. Movement breaks are essential for you. Many of us have desk jobs and moving about just as little as five minutes every hour is beneficial for our health. It can also help us with restoring motivation and become more creative and productive. Take that walk to the coffee machine and back. Yes even if it’s on a different floor. Even better.  If you have the chance a walk and talk fika is even better. You take your coffee or tea and go for a little walk with your colleague or friend.
2. It’s social – Ever feel stuck at solving a problem? Just changing your environment and get talking about something else can help you see things differently. We are also social beings and connecting with other people, especially people we like increases our endorphins, our happy chemicals.
3. Re-charge with something healthy – as I mentioned before, fika is typically a sweet treat, like a cinnamon bun. While I’m a huge fan of sweet treats, I also realise that for many reasons they are not healthy to eat every day. For one it will make your blood sugar crash. Eat something that will stabilise your blood sugar and keep you alert.
4. A little caffeine helps you focus – There are many studies out there about coffee. One research has linked drinking coffee reduces the risk of Ahlzeimers. I have found that coffee or tea after lunch helps me to focus. Making coffee or tea also takes a little time to prepare. This gives you a short period to slow down, to de-stress.
5. Laugh – when you take time out of your day to de-stress chances are you will also have a lot of fun. Again, those endorphins are working. You feel good and when you feel good you can’t feel stressed.