fjaka
Michelle Hawkins
fjakaI remind people that being human comes first.There will always be more to do.Another email. Another deadline. Another responsibility. Another thing asking for our attention.I believe wellbeing begins with remembering that we are human in the middle of all of it.We need movement and rest. Connection and safety. Purpose and play. Time to create, notice, wander, laugh, breathe, and occasionally do absolutely nothing productive at all.Fjaka is a Croatian way of being that I’ve known throughout my life. A slowing of pace. A moment without agenda. Time that doesn’t need to be filled or made useful.Lately, I’ve found myself returning to it with a deeper appreciation for what it can teach us about the way we live, the way we work, and the way we care for ourselves and one another.Much of what I write and create begins there.live it.
love it.
let it.
human it.
fjaka it.Michelle Hawkins
What is fjaka?
Fjaka (fee-AH-Kah) is a Croatian way of being. A slowing of the body and mind. A moment without an agenda. Time that doesn't need to be filled or made useful.
It's not about doing nothing.
It's about remembering that not every moment has to be productive.
find your fjaka.
Fjaka can meet you wherever you are. At home. At work. And in the way we raise the next generation.
fjaka for life.
A little more room to experience the life you're already living
For humans who want to create a little more room to just be.
Less rushing. More noticing
More room for the parts of life that don't belong on a to-do list.
the fjaka publication.
A slower kind of reading. Reflections, ideas and simple practices for creating a little more space in everyday life.
Issue 01 / Room to Breathe
Issue 02: The Life You’re Already Living
fjaka at work.
Work deserves your attention. It doesn't deserve all of you.
For humans wanting to create more sustainable ways to work.
Fjaka at work brings the same philosophy into the workplace, creating more sustainable ways to work while making room for the humans doing it.
01 Culture Check
+ Culture Snapshot
Understand the workplace experience and identify where attention may be most useful.02 Publication
A monthly Fjaka publication offering reflection, perspective and one idea given room to unfold.03 Well-Being Companion
Practical well-being for real life, with simple ways to support well-being in everyday life.04 Leadership Companion
A monthly conversation guide for HR and leadership teams to reflect, discuss and decide what they will reinforce in practice.05 Culture Recheck
Return to the Culture Check to see what has changed and where attention may still be needed.
fjaka at work card deck
Simple prompts designed to create moments of pause, reflection and connection, and a little more permission to be human at work.
Coming soon.
little fjaka.
Let childhood take its time.
For little humans learning how to slow down and just be.
Little fjaka makes room for kids to slow down, notice more, wonder, play and simply be kids.
little things for little humans.
Cards, notes and simple ways to bring more pause, play, curiosity and connection into everyday life.
Coming soon.
why fjaka
Fjaka is a word I have known for most of my life. I grew up spending summers in Croatia, where slowing down wasn't something that needed to be scheduled. It was simply part of life.Years later, after nearly a decade of working in corporate wellness, I've found myself coming back to that idea. Not because life should be slow, but because I think we've forgotten how important it is to make room for the parts of us that are human.Fjaka is my way of making a little more room for that.
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