| |
| |
|
Coffee Information |
|
|
|
Coffee Breaks - Do They Create Stress?
The American custom of taking break during the working hours. Thus coffee breaks began in the early 20th century. At the end of the 19th century, the American workplace was a dreadful place for a break. But as the century turned, social reform was gaining steam. Companies and factories installed in-house lunchrooms, and coffee breaks became part of the reform. In 1952, the term "coffee break" was coined by a Pan-American Coffee Bureau ad campaign that read, "Give yourself a Coffee-Break -- and Get What Coffee Gives to You." Many people take a coffee break while at work, believing that this will ease their stress. Research has been conflicting on the effects of caffeine; some studies suggest that it can worsen anxiety and trigger stress, while others show it boosts confidence and alertness. Recently, however, a study done by psychologists Lindsay St Claire and Peter Rogers of Bristol University in the United Kingdom suggests that taking coffee breaks while working may actually deter employees' ability to do their jobs and undermine teamwork instead of boosting it. So this raises the question: do the classic American coffee breaks hurt more than help? The study found that caffeine is particularly unhelpful to men and can disrupt their emotions and hamper their ability to perform certain tasks. This latest report, released by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council, also suggests that caffeine makes people less co-operative when working in teams. "Our research findings suggest that the commonplace tea or coffee break might backfire in business situations, particularly where men are concerned," says St Claire. "Far from reducing stress, it might actually make things worse." The researchers began their work after they heard a story during a stress workshop. A man described how he and a group of co-workers went on a business trip to the United States. In the United Kingdom, coffee isn't readily available in the workplace. However, in the United States, coffee was freely available and the team drank indulgently. Soon, they noticed that their stress levels had risen. They felt that the extra caffeine had disrupted their team cohesiveness and affected their ability to work together. The team from Bristol University tested caffeine's effects on 32 coffee drinkers. The subjects were that they would be given one of three drinks; a caffeinated coffee that would enhance their performance, a caffeinated coffee that would make them feel stressed, or decaffeinated coffee. This, however, wasn't completely true. Half of the drinks contained 200 mg of caffeine and the other half contained none. The subjects were then asked to perform two stressful tasks. The results of the tasks? Men did significantly worse than women in coping with the caffeine from the coffee. Those that had been told that their coffee contained the performance-enhancing caffeine had higher heart rates and showed more stress, especially during a public speaking task. The caffeine, however, did not affect the men when it came to mathematical tasks. When the subjects performed a "desert survival task" in teams, taking coffee breaks did reduce stress, especially in men, but drinking coffee seemed to reduce teamwork. So when it comes to coffee breaks, it may be advisable to lay off a bit if you're about to speak to an important client or head into a team meeting where you know there will be much bickering about the latest project plans. And while coffee and caffeine have been shown to be extremely beneficial in other areas of your physical health, maybe they should be reserved for before and after work or on the weekends. © Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved. Randy has more articles on coffee such as Colombian Coffee, Are Coffee Enemas the Real Thing?, and Arabica Coffee.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
What Makes Hawaiian Coffee So Special? Coffee was first introduced to the Islands by Chief Boki, the Governor of Oahu, in 1825. He acquired coffee plants in Rio de Janeiro while aboard a British warship, the H. Choosing A Coffee Maker - Tips On Finding The Right Features Choosing a good coffee maker is not a decision to be taken for granted. If you are going to spend money on your favorite coffee, you will want to make sure the coffee maker you choose is of good quality and has the features you want. Getting Fat These Days; Is it Starbucks Starbucks has seen tremendous growth in our cities and the stock is up sharply from its IPO. But for many Americans so is their waist; are you a Starbucks Groupie? Is this fact showing in your body. Why Your Cup of Coffee in the Morning May Keep You Up All Night One of the most common complaints among coffee drinkers isthat the caffeine can disturb their sleep. This result has been known for thousands of years and is, in fact, one of the reasons why many drink coffee in the first place: to stay awake. Coffee Roasting: Learning the Fundamental Art of Making Coffee Can be Fun Coffee roasting from light to very dark, is an art form in itself. Green beans have none of the flavor we are all accustomed to. Coffee Club Membership Is A Joy For Coffee Lovers Coffee club membership is a joy for coffee lovers The coffee club concept is relatively new but is taking the world by storm. Reward yourself or your friends and relatives with coffee clubs by joining up and saving loads. Are Coffee Enemas The Real Thing? Coffee enemas detoxify the liver, as well as cleans the colon. Some people claim that they provide immediate relief to toxicity symptoms, such as congestion, indigestion, pain and headaches. Campfire Coffee Recipes Want to know a few secrets to making a good cup of campfire coffee? There are lots of recipes for making coffee in a plain pot over a campfire or for your camping coffee pot. Try a few varieties to see what suits your taste the best. Extracting the Coffee Flavor The beverage called coffee is the result of mixing dry coffee with water. The combination can be done by one of many methods - ranging from the very simple, with the minimum of equipment - to the use of complex coffee machines which can cost thousands of dollars. Coffee, A Brief Overview The coffee plant has two main species. There is the Coffea Arabica, which is the more traditional coffee and considered to be superior in flavor, and the Coffea Canephora known more commonly as Robusta. Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee Do you remember your first experience with coffee? I'm sorry to say that I do. All I remember is that it was powdered and freeze dried and worst of all, decaf. Coffee Storage Myths; Freeze Your Fresh Roasted Coffee & Other Popular Misconceptions So you are finally fed up with that bland black liquid, you once called coffee, brewed from the finest can of generic supermarket grinds. You are financially outraged at the price of a single cup of designer coffee shop coffee. Coffee Bean Roaster The coffee bean roaster is fast becoming a "must have" in today's kitchens. The flavor and freshness of coffee is at its best when it is roasted in small batches at home. Ganoderma Coffee - Can It Be Good For You? Are you a coffee addict? Are you searching for a healthier coffee alternative? Do you enjoy a good cup of coffee, but choose other beverages, because it does not agree with you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are in for a pleasant surprise.Believe it or not, all coffee is not bad for you. Flavored Coffee Syrup Adds A New Dimension To Beans Flavored coffee syrup is a popular addition to any coffee beverage and a welcome change for any regular coffee drinker. Whether you are looking to satisfy a sweet tooth or just want something different, flavored coffee syrups put a great kick into any drink. Tea at Sea Marylyn Monroe famed amongst other things for her love of Tea once said that, "World Peace would be with us if politicians drank tea at meetings" - or something to that effect. And she was very true in her words, very true indeed. What is Sustainable Coffee and How Does it Affect My Wake Cup? Gourmet coffee lovers have been seeing a few new terms in thelocal premium coffee shop as they file past the seasonal retaildisplays of roasted whole bean bagged coffees. Phrases includeeco-friendly, organic, shade grown, fair trade and certifiedsustainable. There is More to Motivation Than Meets the Coffee The stress of unemployment can really take a toll on ones confidence and state of mind. For some individuals, it could lead to depression, for others - a mere lack of motivation and feeling of hopelessness. English Coffee With English Tea being a very familiar term, English coffee may seem as contrary a term as Arctic bananas; however, England's impact on the coffee trade and the world of business is undeniable. The history of English coffee began in 1650 at Oxford University when a Lebanese immigrant opened the first coffeehouse on campus. Ethiopian Coffee Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, yet it is not a country that comes to mind when the average consumer thinks of coffee. The South American countries are much more synonymous with coffee production but coffee did not come to these countries until the early 1700's, nearly a thousand years after it was discovered.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008
|
