Coffee or Tea: Which One's Better for Productivity at Work?
There may be several occasions when you can hardly stay focused at work. It could either be a mild case of exhaustion from certain activities, stress and anxiety or you may simply have begun your day with the wrong foot. In such cases, coffee becomes the preferred drink for quite a number of people to get rid of fatigue and heighten performance at work.
On the other hand, some workers actually prefer tea over coffee. They claim that tea is much better than coffee and has far more health benefits.
Singaporeans usually go to traditional coffee shops, also calledkopitiams, for their cup of coffee orteh tarik- a sweet tea-based drink that has condensed milk and froth. And while coffee remains popular, Singapore has a well-established "tea culture" and ranks 47th on the list of countries by tea consumption per capita.
In this article, we are going to consider the benefits of these two beverages, and then find out which one is better for productivity at work. Whereas details as to which one is better for your health will not be provided here, we will mostly take into account the benefits of coffee and tea in boosting productivity.
Coffee is a double-edged sword
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that there is sufficient scientific evidence that caffeine can naturally increase alertness and attention. This finding was eventually made public after EFSA assessed a considerable number of researches on the impact of caffeine on mental performance. The many researches over the last decade, according to EFSA, serve as the proof of the positive effects of caffeine on focus and productivity.
Whenever heightened alertness is highly required, coffee proves to be potentially beneficial. Coffee can definitely help you endure activities such as night shift, jet lag, a boring day at work and the list goes on.
Although the effect of coffee in increasing alertness is well documented, the same researches suggest that higher intake of caffeine does not result in additional increase in alertness. Nevertheless, having a cup of Joe or two is undeniably good for productivity at work.
However, in certain occasions, coffee may prove to be a double-edged sword. If you drink it on the right time and in the right amount, coffee will help you stay alert and get your creative juices flowing. But when you excessively drink coffee, it can lead to increased heart rate, nervousness and insomnia. Ironically, these side effects of drinking too much coffee can get in the way of your productivity at work.
Tea for staying calm yet alert
Even though the reputation of coffee in boosting concentration and keeping you awake is more well-known, there are a lot of benefits in drinking that some of you may not know. As a matter of fact, tea contains two key components that will help you with focus and productivity: caffeine and L-theanine.
The effects of caffeine are already well-established but what about the benefits of L-theanine?
L-theanine is a substance found in tea that can naturally increase alpha-wave activity, which results to better creative thinking and reduced stress levels.
Regardless of the fact that all tea is made from the same plant, each tea variety has its own unique benefits. Green and white teas are considered as the best teas because of their higher content of L-theanine. For centuries, Buddhist monks have been drinking tea to help calm their bodies and increase their concentration. They prefer tea over coffee in order to remain calm yet alert while meditating.
The calm energy that tea provides is in stark contrast with the lively energy that coffee gives its drinkers. There's also the fact that the effects of tea are more long-lasting than that of coffee.
And while picking up your daily cup of Joe or preparing your own is more or less an established ritual in more workplaces, some people prefer tea simply because it is cheaper and easier to prepare.
Now, after knowing the benefits of the two drinks, it is entirely up to determine which drink is better for you. Take note that as with any food or beverage, your metabolism is likely to have a significant effect on the way your body is going to react after consuming coffee or tea.
If you really want to determine which drink suits you best, what you can do is keep a written record of what you drink and when and how you feel two hours later and actively monitor how productive you are after. By doing so you can discover for yourself which beverage works best for you.
