Jobhop Jobhop's blog : 7 Benefits of Drinking Coffee at Work

If you're one of those workers who can't seem to function in the office without enjoying a cup of coffee first, then you're not alone.

As one of the most popular drinks in the workplace today, coffee has long been used as a way of not only feeling revived but to sharpen thinking skills. Here are some of the many ways that drinking coffee at work provides a benefit to employees and business owners alike...

1. Keeps you alert

This advantage is one that any coffee lover already knows. But really, anyone who consumes caffeinated beverages will know. You're fuzzy, tired, you feel like you can't take that duvet off and role out of bed. What's the first thing that you go for? A hot cup of coffee. Now, caffeine doesn't actually wake you up. However, it does stop the substance your body creates that makes you sleepy, which is adenosine. Caffeine blocks your brains adenosine receptors, which tricks your brain into thinking that it's not tired. Additionally, the caffeine in your coffee boosts your brain's energy levels.

2. Coffee is social

Taking coffee breaks with colleagues nowadays is a widespread and ingrained habit in office culture. Meeting or inviting coworkers to have a coffee is the perfect occasion to foster relationships, network and talk things over in a more relaxed way.

3. Burn fat

Caffeine is found to be a part of many commercial fat burning supplements. Due to it's stimulant effects, caffeine can increase metabolism and enhance the oxidation of fatty acids. Athletes who want to improve their performance tend to use coffee as it mobilises the fatty acids from the fat tissues. Caffeine has been found to increase exercise performance by 11 or 12% on average. So you may want to complement your daily morning jog with a cup of coffee to reduce excess fats.

4. Get smarter

Coffee doesn't only wake you up and get you going for the day, but it can actually make your brain function better and make you smarter. The active ingredient in coffee is caffeine, which is a stimulant that blocks the effects of adenosine in the body. It increases the neural firing in the brain and releases dopamine and norepinephrine. Controlled trials have revealed that caffeine can enhance memory, mood, reaction time, vigilance and cognitive function.

5. Coffee eases pain

Coffee eases the pain in necks, shoulders, forearms, and wrists. Sitting at the computer all day can give you all kinds of aches and pains. while massages do tend to help, I would recommend using this as an excuse to gulp down a brew. A piping hot cup can ease the pain in several areas, such as wrist soreness while typing.

6. Treats migraines

Caffeine is actually a main ingredient in many pain-relieving medications, so it's not surprising that for some people, treating their migraine with a strong cup of coffee does the trick. However, everyone's body responds to caffeine differently, and different headaches respond to different treatments. Some studies have shown that if you are not a regular coffee drinker, a strong cup of coffee can relieve a headache better than if you drink it everyday, potentially because your body is more used to the effects.

7. Coffee makes people happy

The feeling you get when you're run out of coffee can be a real productivity killer. Caffeine affects the level of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, preventing their re-absorption, which makes you feel happy. Obviously, the happiness of employees is sometimes proportionate to the number of coffee varieties they can choose from, so having a proper coffee machine could be fundamental to keep your workers happy and foster a positive working environment.