Being a business owner has its ups and downs, but one thing is for sure – I’m busy all the time. When it comes time to really get in the zone and crank some things out, there’s nothing that really helps me more than a cup of coffee, or four!
Not only do I enjoy drinking coffee, but it also seems to help me focus. It could be psychosomatic, but I do think there’s some science behind it, too. And, because I got curious, I did a little reading. Here’s what I found.
Also Read: 15 Types of Coffee Drinkers
Drinking Coffee to Increase Focus
Most experts can agree that caffeine gives you a lift. When you drink coffee (which is the most popular source of caffeine in the world), the caffeine attaches itself to a neurotransmitter in the brain called adenosine.
Adenosine regulates your attention and your ability to focus. Once it runs out, it’s time for bed. But caffeine can block it, giving you more time to get things done. Caffeine is a stimulant and can be used as a performance enhancer.
Unfortunately, everyone is different, and there’s a point at which coffee can actually increase anxiety and cause performance detriment. You have to listen to your own body. Too much caffeine will detract from your desired effect and make it harder to focus.
If you metabolize what you drink quickly, you could get to this point faster than someone else, which means you may need a caffeine refill sooner. The interesting thing to note is that at about the half-life of your caffeine, or the point at which your body has metabolized half of what you already drank, if you drink some more, you can keep going for another couple of hours before noticing any ill effects.
One other interesting thing to note is that how the caffeine affects you depends on the quality of the bean and how it’s ground and brewed, so I try to consume fresh ground coffee when I really need to get some work done.
What Works For Me?
What I’ve noticed is that I can typically handle about two cups of coffee in the morning without it having any negative impact on my normal schedule, my sleep, or my level of anxiety. Come on; I’m a business owner. Of course, I have anxiety.
However, when it comes down to the end of the month, and there are a couple of days where I know I simply have to focus and get things done, I can brew a pot of coffee and pour myself cup after cup.
There’s just something about it that puts me in the zone. I can say for certain that it’s warm and delicious, which is comforting early in the morning when I don’t want to get up and grind.
Also Read: 10 Different Types of Coffee That You Must Try
But science also tells us that coffee can increase focus and memory retention, which can also help me remember what it was I was supposed to do. Believe me; I need all the help I can get.
Benefits of Coffee
Aside from my coffee intake, there are plenty of other benefits to drinking coffee at a regular cadence, like reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack, diabetes, depression, and all sorts of other diseases.
