This Swedish ritual will make you a lot more productive

Do you know that feeling: staring at a screen for hours only to close your laptop at the end of the day and be able to cross one thing off your to-do list? You can't really call it productive, but there is a solution: fika. In Sweden, it has become a daily ritual to boost your work capacity, and experts swear by it.

Fika (pronounced fee-kah) is a Swedish word for a small break during your workday. And I don't mean a standard coffee break, but several breaks in a day where you eat something sweet. The goal is to relax and come together with colleagues, family, or friends. And I can understand that relaxation, because almost everyone can enjoy a piece of cake as an excuse not to work.

Swedish companies like Volvo and IKEA have been using fika for years, even making it a right for every employee. No joke, you actually sign for this in your contract. And as a bonus, it turns out that these sweet breaks give your productivity a boost. If you know that you have to stop working at a certain time to enjoy your fika, you will manage your time more efficiently and selectively. A win-win situation, if you ask me.

It's time to integrate fika here in the Netherlands. If I can have a few slices of cake every day to give my productivity a little push, I won't say no. But can there also be an extra break for a workout afterwards? Seems like a solid plan to me. Then we have found the ideal combination for a productive and healthy workday.

Source: vogue.com