Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Iceland is the only Nordic country I’ve ticked off the list so far. Sweden is next on my list, and I hope to visit this summer (fingers crossed).
With strong historical and cultural ties, Scandinavian culture has always fascinated me. I imagine a fresh-scented, frosty filtered scene; rosy-cheeked, beautiful tall nordic men and woman and adorable children smile; they’re wearing warm, thick, good quality clothes that are incredibly fashionable yet subtle; a neatly formed fire is simmering in the corner; light, cheerful laughter can be heard and the air fills with the smell of freshly baked pastries and state of the art coffee. Nordic folk music plays in the background.
No one is stressed. No one is tired. Everyone is just...being. Attention is focused on the appreciation of slow living, where everything else is put on hold and magical moments of unity are enjoyed in the midst of the mundane. Does this sound extremely stereotypical? Naive and overly idealistic? Maybe. But from what I’ve heard and experienced myself, northern Europeans have the work-life balance down, and we can learn from them.
The Law of Jante
Let’s firstly dive into some of the reasons behind why the Scandinavian workforce is so successful.
Studies have shown that Scandinavian employees are some of the happiest and healthiest in the world. When you’re happy and healthy, you’re more productive. But what are the core reasons behind this happiness? Perhaps happiness is too strong of a word, no one can be happy all the time. Maybe ‘content-ness’ is a better way to describe it.
After doing a bit of research, I found out that it comes down to this Danish-Norwegian writer Aksel Sandemose. Sandemose was a pretty cool guy as he coined the term ‘Jantelov’. This term embraces the idea that everyone is equal. ‘The Law of Jante’ guides Scandinavian behaviour and culture. It basically means that you should always put the wider society ahead of yourself. You shouldn’t consider yourself as being above anyone else in your community or workplace and boasting about your accomplishments or being jealous of others is a no-no.
I guess boasting about your accomplishments and being jealous of others is hypothetically a no-no in every culture, but the Scandinavian people have this unspoken set of social norms at their core and live by it every day. Rather than trust having to be earned in the workplace, employees are trusted from day one. This results in an open and honest environment with fewer conflicts and disagreements.
Other reasons behind the overall happiness of Scandinavian people include shorter, more flexible working hours, celebration and recognition, free health and dental care, and subsidized daycare. Whilst we can’t deny that the population has much higher tax rates, people don’t get pissed off because these income taxes are positively reflected in the overall infrastructures of society and contribute majorly to everyone’s wellbeing.
Can such utopia really exist?
Whilst this results in a seemingly utopian cultural society, filled with people smiling their way through life offering favours left right and centre, some people have argued that these unspoken social norms hold these countries back from achieving large success on a global scale.
Think about it, if you put 10 times the amount of work into a project compared to a colleague but still received the same praise, you’d probably lose motivation and self-esteem. I’m not saying this actually happens, but it’s a useful analogy to visualise the ‘everyone is equal’ way of thinking. Is the rule of Jante in the workplace preventing people from reaching their full potential because not enough is at stake? Do they need to perhaps take a step back from this rule and make room for failure and hardship so that success can be achieved on a larger scale? Who knows, I guess it’s an ongoing debate.
What is FIKA, and what can we learn from it?
Enough about politics and the structures of society, let’s talk about cake. One thing Scandinavians love to do is meet up with friends and chat over a cup of coffee and cake. They love it so much that they have a word for it. Whilst we would say ‘let’s meet up and have a coffee and a chat and maybe something sweet to eat’, Scandinavians say ‘let’s fika’. Has a much better ring to it, don’t you think? A huge part of everyday living revolves around this old Swedish word, and life without Fika is unthinkable.
It isn’t certain exactly when this tradition started, but Scandinavian people were using the word as early as 1913. ‘Fika’ functions as both a verb and a noun, and the concept of it is simple. It’s the moment that you take a break. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and if you’re feeling peckish, pair it with a delicious baked good. It can be at any time in the day, and you don’t always have to do it with friends, you can also do it alone. The most essential thing is that you do it. Fika represents an entire culture, a culture that makes sure they make time to pause, take a break, reflect, and relax.
The baked goods that often accompany the coffee are usually classic Swedish recipes from traditional baking books or recipes that are passed down through generations. Cinamon buns, the apple rich fyriskaka, open-faced sandwiches, and many more flavours for an unforgettable trip to delicious town.
Scandinavian people put effort into making the tastes of Fika pop because, like in almost every culture, eating is emotional. We eat when we’re celebrating, we eat when we’re mourning. We eat when we’re happy, and we eat when we’re sad. To separate food from how you feel is pretty much impossible.
With regards to Fika, baked goods are comforting and grounding. The act of baking itself can even make you feel reassured and safe. Not for me, I find baking incredibly stressful and I’m terrible at it. I like to think it’s because baking is a ‘science’ and not an ‘art’. I’ve never been good at maths or science, so often get measurements and timings just, wrong. Then I wonder why my cake is flat or burnt. With cooking, you can improvise freely and there’s room for more mistakes. Saying that, I’m very good at eating and enjoying the baked goods, so I’ll stick to that.
The different Swedish recipes for pastries, breads, and other treats can coincide with the different types of social engagements you might have. The recipes fit into so many different special moments and seasons. I have started incorporating Fika into my everyday life, and my work has biweekly Fika (zoom) breaks where we take 30 minutes to chat about non-work stuff over a cup of coffee/tea and a snack. Fika is glorious, and I think it should be vital in every workplace! It’s a time to laugh, a time to chat, a time to think, and a time to lightly engage with the joys of just being (whilst giving your taste buds and inner emotional mind a well-deserved treat).
That's all for today guys, what are you waiting for? Go take a Fika break, you deserve it... especially after this whirlwind of a year!
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