Could you start the day without your morning Double-Double? Is it out of habit or do we really believe that a morning coffee will increase our productivity at work?

Globally, retail coffee is an $85 billion industry; North America is among the largest and fastest growing of all coffee-consuming regions worldwide. According to a consumer report published by the NPD Group, Canadians consume 2.1 billion servings of coffee annually. Of those drinking coffee, Millennials consume one of every three servings of hot specialty coffee; 65% of all specialty coffee servings are consumed by women. Baby Boomers, however, remain the biggest consumers of hot brewed coffee at 37%.

So what does coffee do for you? According to this infographic by Gryffin Media, created for Toll Free Forwarding, coffee does boost our productivity—but only if taken at the right time.

Learn how and when coffee can help with your productivity below:

Does coffee really increase your productivity at work?

Everyday 63% of Americans reach for a cup of joe to get them through the workday. But if you want your morning coffee to really boost your productivity, you need to drink it right.

Take your coffee break when you’re chemically receptive to it

Our bodies naturally “caffeinate” themselves at different periods of the day with the use of cortisol. Peak cortisol times: early morning, midday and evening.

Drinking coffee when you body is producing cortisol can result in a gradual tolerance and decrease coffee’s effects.

What can you do? Drink coffee between spikes in cortisol. The best times are 9:30am to 11:30am and 1:30pm to 5:00pm.

Coffee boost your speed, not your talent

While coffee is a potent stimulant, it’s commonly mistaken as a creativity-booster. In truth, studies have shown that tasks that require quality over quantity don’t benefit from caffeine. Repetitive jobs such as data entry reap the most rewards from coffee.

Your caffeine high might not last as long as others’

On average, it takes 15-45 minutes for caffeine to reach peak levels in your bloodstream. And it has a half-life of 5-6 hours. But hormones and external stimulants play a big role in how much coffee you need.

Caffeine will last longer in your system if you rarely consume it or if you’re a woman on birth control.

Caffeine will leave your system more quickly if you smoke or regularly consume high levels of caffeine.

Beware the caffeine-withdrawal headache

While coffee has been found to keep headaches away, long-term coffee drinkers often experience caffeine withdrawal when they’re denied their favourite brew.

To prepare for D-Day, drink lots of water! Keep peppermint candies in your drawer as well; peppermint has been proven to alleviate the pain. You should also keep ginseng in tea or pill form; it helps with the headache and gives you some extra energy.

More tips for improving productivity

Give your caffeine a boost by eating grapefruit, small amounts of sugar, and healthy fat. They can help slow the absorption of caffeine in your system and prolong the effects.

Think quality, not quantity. Not all caffeine is created equal. What beans you use and how your coffee is prepared can make a difference on its effects.

Avoid the venti. Small, frequent doses of caffeine are much more effective than a single large dose. You can maintain the effects of the caffeine without overloading your brain—or crashing after the effects wear off.

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Need more help with your productivity? Check out this 7-day plan to stay productive or hide your caffeine addiction with colourless coffee.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/drinking-coffee-really-make-productive/

https://www.npdgroup.ca/wps/portal/npd/ca/news/press-releases/whats-in-your-coffee-mug/