Most of the working world is dependent of coffee; and why not? It is a shot of energy when you need it the most. Coffee adds focus so that you’re alert and can get through that pile of work sitting on your desk. But that’s not all there is about coffee. Here are some things you need to know about how coffee is affecting your work.
Helps You Learn Faster
Studies show that you can learn faster when you’re drinking a cup of Joe. This is probably the reason why there are so many coffee shops near schools and universities. The study suggests that the brain on coffee works overtime to help you learn faster while improving information retention. It works the same way if you’re a student or employee so everybody that needs to learn something fast can take advantage of it.
A study published in the journal PLOS shows that 200 milligrams of caffeine is enough to prod the brain to identify words and phrases faster. Aside from improved memory retention, the study also showed increased ability to solve reason-based problems.
Improves Productivity
Research from MIT supports the idea that coffee consumption can help people become more creative individually and in a group setting. For some people, coffee stimulates the brain by improving focus and making way for creative thinking.
Helps With Alertness
Contrary to popular belief, coffee does not wake you up. However, it does stop adenosine (a compound in your brain) from making you sleepy. This substance builds up in your brain throughout the day lowering energy levels and making you sleepy. During the morning, you feel sleepy from the leftover adenosine in your brain. In the afternoons, the buildup makes you sleepy which is why you need another shot of coffee. Aside from increasing your focus, it can also ramp up your brain’s energy levels. More energy for the brain means more focus, improved problem solving and general cognitive function skills.
Social Lubricant
A study from MIT discovered that employees that take coffee breaks together are more productive. The study followed groups of people working in a call center. They found that groups who had coffee breaks together had better performance compared to employees who took coffee breaks alone. Next time you decide to get to know a co-worker with a glass of wine after work, socialize over a cup of coffee instead to perform better while learning about them.
Eases Desk Pain
Do you ever wonder why computer programmers keep sipping cups of coffee while sitting at their desks? This is because consuming coffee has been found to ease pain in the neck, forearms, wrists and shoulders which are often associated with sitting long hours on a desk. A study by the University of Georgia discovered that moderate caffeine consumption can help reduce up to 48% of muscle pain. But before you chug another cup of coffee, you need to know that caffeine tolerance makes a difference. Habitual coffee drinking can negate the pain relieving experience because you are building up a tolerance.
Coffee Can Make A Stressful Situation More Stressful
Coffee can “exaggerate sympathetic adrenal-medullary responses” to the stressful situations of daily life. This is because caffeine increases blood pressure and spikes adrenalin levels which in turn increase your stress levels. This effect can stay even if you’ve left the office. As we know, high stress levels can interfere with performance and productivity so it’s best to limit your coffee intake at work.
OK With Sleep Deprivation
Drinking coffee makes you okay with sleep deprivation. Over the course of you’re career, you’ve probably stayed late to finish a report or presentation which in turn made you sleep later. Knowing that we have coffee to help us survive another day at work on little sleep makes us comfortable with the situation. However, making a habit of it can be detrimental to your career. Sleep deprivation can make you lose focus, decrease productivity and cause physical and mental health complications.
According to the UK’s National Health Service, the best time for coffee is at 2pm when you’re energy levels are at their lowest. While coffee is a good stimulant, too much caffeine can be bad for you. Limit yourself to 2 cups a day for optimal results in the workplace.
