FIKA
HOW TO BOND WITH YOUR WORKMATES
Do you want to make a big difference? Make one small change at a time.
Do you want the world to change? Reflect those ideals into your small daily habits.
This is what brought Fika into my life.
It wasn’t a radical revolutionary concept, it was just one thing I started doing to improve the quality of my life and the quality of my relationship with my crew.
As a freelance content creator, I have the luxury of being able to choose my crew and work from home -most of the time. Brilliant as it may sound, this has a lot of downsides. One of the drawbacks is that you have to share your personal space with people, you work all day and all night long and when you spend unlimited time with your work buddies working non-stop, you reach the saturation point of a work relationship.
Then it’s time for Fika.
Taking a true break with your work buddies, brewing a cup of good coffee while enjoying each other’s company. At any Swedish workplace, there is always a fika break, or two; in the morning and in the afternoon.
Connecting with your team is as important as deadlines and it’s a wicked form of team-building and bonding.
Fika is Swedish for a coffee break that’s more about socializing than drinking coffee. And something sweet is also welcome. Swedes prefer not to translate the word fika. They don’t want it to lose significance and become a mere coffee break. And I totally get that.
I think of it as a sanctuary from the work pressure and a good excuse to savour the moment while dunking a biscuit in your coffee.
The smell of coffee helps a lot. We are creatures of habit and we have associated that particular aroma with quiet moments, and refuelling before setting off into the world of business again.
You can Fika alone, but life is better with friends.
People’s fika habits tend to vary greatly but there’s always coffee. Indulgent and flavorful, there should always be coffee.
I like to use my Moka Pot.
It’s a process that helps me slow down and feels like an indulgent ritual, a little luxury in the middle of the day that reminds me to unwind for a few moments. I was working with a photographer a few days ago, from home, and I stopped to make a pot of coffee. He stared at my Moka Pot for a while. He never saw one before. I realised that a lot of people don’t know how to use a Moka Pot, so let me show you how simple yet lovely it is:
How to Use a Moka Pot
Fill the bottom of the brewer with water.
Insert the funnel and fill it with ground coffee.
Screw the upper part of the pot onto the base.
Place the moka pot on the stovetop until the water boils and coffee begins to come out.
Enjoy your quality time with your team.
Until the next one,
Chelf
