The hard truth about coffee and productivity may surprise you. It might be the missing link to maximizing your efficiency.
I don’t know about you, but I love coffee!
If it tastes like coffee, I’m in! Whether it’s a praline or ice cream, mocha or coffee are always my picks.
I don’t remember when it started.
Born and raised in Brazil, coffee has always been part of my life. And I’m not talking about any coffee, but good and strong one.
While many people drink it for its taste, there are those who incorporated coffee, or caffeine in general, to their intake to “wake up.”
Since one finds it hard to focus and be productive when sleepy, why not drinking a cup or two to get things done?
The question makes sense, doesn’t it?
However, the answer isn’t exactly as straightforward as you may think.
Coffee, to love or not to love?
Who has never had a lovely chat over a delicious cup of coffee?
Whether it was a cappuccino, an Americano or a ristretto, sitting down for a coffee break is a tradition worldwide.
It’s also the favorite work break for many.
Black or with milk, coffee is a popular drink that fits all situations.
While I’m not here to deny its social aspect, there’s the other side of it.
There’s the hard truth about coffee and productivity.
Whether you like it or not, coffee is a drug.
Well, not coffee itself, but the caffeine it contains is.
How to find out the right amount of coffee for you. #coaching #mentorship #MindfulPlanning Click To TweetCaffeine is very addicting.
And since it’s not forbidden by any law, we tend to overindulge ourselves without realizing it.
While it’s true that caffeine improves blood flow, for example, it also has side-effects.
Since each person is different, you may not necessarily feel the effects I’m sharing here.
Yet, if drinking coffee is part of your daily rituals to “wake up,” but you see little results, this post must be the missing link to improving your efficiency.
The hard truth about coffee
First of all, let’s clarify one thing: the effects of any substance vary from person to person. Caffeine is no exception!
While one may feel little to no effect after a couple of cups, another may find it hard to function after just one.
Unless I want to spend the night awake, for instance, I better stay away from it after 4 PM.
Those who are caffeine sensitive experience adverse effects.
They suffer from symptoms like:
- jittering
- migraines
- sleeping issues
Another truth is that caffeine stays long in your system.
25% of your 8 AM cup will still be in your body 12 hours later.
At what time do you generally drink your last cup of the day?
Besides hurting your health, there is also efficiency-related damage.
Too frequent coffee breaks are easy to spot productivity killers.
Stretching your legs and changing the pace boost your productivity. But make sure you’re doing it the right way.
Too much of a good thing is still too much.
And if your coffee breaks tend to last more than they should, it’s only reasonable that you leave the office feeling unaccomplished.
When it comes to caffeine intake, despite its short-term improvement of cognitive task performance, it doesn’t happen without a withdrawal.
In other words, the same caffeine that gives you the feeling of being more productive also takes it away.
To makes things worse, caffeine has also been associated with stress. Yeah, stress again!
And the list goes on…
The maybe not-so-hard truth about coffee and productivity
Note that I’m not going to be the one to tell you to quit drinking coffee cold turkey.
In fact, I tried it myself without success.
What worked for me was lowering my daily caffeine intake.
I went down from 8 cups a day to no more than 2 throughout the years. And that has been enough to maintain my productivity and health.
Discover how to avoid the side-effects of caffeine. #coaching #mentorship #MindfulPlanning Click To TweetHow much should you be drinking?
Start by tracking your intake.
I use this tracker for not only coffee but also other beverages that contain caffeine, such as tea and soda.
If you, however, think that caffeine may be impairing not only your efficiency and well-being, don’t wait until it’s too late.
Your health must always come first!
If you’d like some help to brainstorm about the effects of too much coffee in your productivity, I want to invite you to join the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You.
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
How much caffeine is too much for you?
