Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee and relax: the he said/she said arguments over whether coffee increases productivity on the job have some scientific backing, thanks to a 2004 Harris poll. Productivity is a common debate for business management and employees. As they say, time is money, and with the right workplace standards, permissions and oversights, coffee-drinking could provide that little boost you and your colleagues need to get through the day – and that big presentation – with flying colors.
The research results from the poll revealed that the majority of the employees polled agreed that coffee increases productivity on the job.
• 79% of those polled said that access to coffee or tea makes them more productive
• 76% said that drinking a hot beverage is relaxing
• 79% said that they feel valued by their employers when they are provided with hot beverages at the workplace
• 47% said that they appreciate access to free or low-cost coffee provided by their office beverage service
• 63% said that having hot beverages served at the office allows them to grab a fresh coffee and get back to work, without having to leave the building to get that next kick of energy
Another study has shown that drinking coffee moderately throughout the day will help employees stay focused, especially when tasked with completing boring or endurance-based work. Those workers, according to the research, who consumed a moderate intake of coffee throughout the entire day were able to maintain their concentration levels until the end of the workday. In contrast, the workers who started their day off with a coffee at home or on the way to work and had no additional coffee throughout the day hit a productivity slump in the afternoon. The same was found for the workers who did not drink any coffee or caffeinated beverages throughout the day: their focus, energy and productivity decreased as the day progressed.
Why would coffee-drinking provide such a noticeable boost to workplace performance? Let’s take a closer look:
1. Coffee improves mental performance
That’s right, we all hoped it was the truth and now you can be sure. Drinking coffee doesn’t just help you stay awake – it improves alertness and concentration while delaying mental fatigue. It has also been suggested that coffee will improve your short-term memory.
2. Improve endurance and stamina in physical exercise
We’ll take any help we can get to make getting back into a regular exercise habit a little easier. Coffee could be the boost we all need to avoid early exhaustion by helping to improve our mentality, and therefore, our ability to exercise longer and harder while getting back into an exercise routine.
3. Improves socialization
As strange as it sounds, drinking coffee really does improve your ability to socialize. The scientific reasoning for this is coffee-drinking actually reduces stress by eliminating the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for irritability and other everyday stresses. Not only that, but the atmosphere created in coffee houses is carefully manufactured to help eliminate stress and encourage socialization, too.
So the next time your coworker starts swearing at the computer, treat them to a coffee – it might be the boost they need, and the rescue everyone else at the office wants!
Image: DeaPeaJay / cc
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