Did you hear someone say that consumption of coffee can help us boost creativity? We have been in this for a long time, but this is not what it is. You might wake up one morning feeling dizzy and think that coffee is going to solve it all; probably it won’t.
The benefits of coffee are undeniable because it has been helping to treat several diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease[1], and more. There has been a controversy about the impacts of coffee on creativity. Often scientists have indulged in the matter of how coffee can impact creativity. Well, more than creativity, coffee has been helping to boost focus.[2]
Coffee contains caffeine, which is one of the main aspects to prevent your mind from wandering.
So, what does coffee do?
Wandering has always been associated with creativity. Something that keeps you away from wandering will eventually help you stay stuck in one place. Staying stuck at one place and keeping a check with it is ultimately a focus boosting process. The importance of free association with the creative process can, however, will also not be denied.[3]
The stimulant in coffee, caffeine is referred to have an impact on people who have had the problem of wondering. If you feel that you get lost very often, you should focus and want to enjoy coffee. Moreover, this is also helpful for keeping away ADHD[4].
Does coffee treat ADHD?
Coffee has several health benefits. Although it is said that coffee helps in the consumption, it is still not confirmed whether coffee consumption can help to lower the chances of ADHD. Well, two major studies have shown that the use of coffee cannot help in treating ADHD. The tests conducted on the children showed lesser signs of sluggishness due to caffeine agitation and an increase in the heartbeat rate for kids.
Can caffeine help to boost focus?
Caffeine has proven to be extremely helpful for boosting focus as it directly has impacts on the brain neurons[5]. These positive impacts further make way for better concentration and mental focus.
Caffeine is often referred to as the natural stimulant that can be a significant boost to the overall energy. Natural stimulants can help you run at high speed when required and even slow down when needed. Scientists have found out that the limited consumption of caffeine can play an essential role in enhancing concentration and making one mentally aware[6].
Did you confuse increased focus with smartness? Coffee consumption doesn’t make you smart; it only makes you more alert. Moreover, coffee does not affect the rate at which you learn.[7] Coffee dosage is significant for this reason.
How is coffee related to creativity?
Creative people have often been referred to in two categories: unfinished ones and the ones who haven’t yet started.[8] Well, it is essential to be aware of who is what to ensure better detailing. It is here that coffee takes up its major role.
Coffee is often said to be beneficial in the thought boosting procedure. It helps to get rid of the unwanted and unnecessary thoughts that keep you away from finishing your work. As a result, it helps in boosting the thought process and keeping everything at bay, thereby maintaining the focus.
Studies have shown that coffee can help you with your day to day activities such as finishing projects and more[10]. Every small effort made can prove to be beneficial in the later terms. It helps to avoid the thought of procrastinating and daydreaming and stay focused on the work.
Coffee is believed to bring back “ox brain” similar to mindful meditation.It helps to avoid or silent the monkey brain. Ox brain is referred to as being quiet and thinking about one thing, but the monkey brain is the part that keeps chattering about the same thing at a stretch. [11]
These itself are evidence that coffee can help to silent your always wondering brain. This further proves to help focus on what you have been doing. To be more creative, you need to ensure that you spend your time on other aspects such as hiking, house cleaning, and more.[12] However, it is necessary that if you want creative thoughts to flow through your mind, you don’t consume coffee. This will eventually prevent you from being focused. If you are focusing on a particular work, you won’t have enough time to be creative.
If you consume less coffee, you will focus better
While you may think the more, the better, it is not so. Studies have shown that the body and brain will respond to caffeine consumption, just like how a healthy body reacts to it.[13] If you use more, you will expect more reactions, but it will only counter back.
If you want caffeine to have maximum impact on your body, you must consume only 300mg per day. This will eventually contribute towards raising alertness, thereby at a faster rate.
Often people tend to limit their caffeine consumption to get the most. Also, you might prefer scheduling how much coffee you consume and how. After a certain period of time, your body tends to become addicted to coffee so that it might act that way. The more your body becomes accustomed to coffee; the more will it be able to respond to it accordingly.
It is anticipated that regularly drinking coffee can help to enhance the cognitive function of the body. It does not have a short-term boost, thereby offering better focus. The studies of the researchers from the Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology[14] have shown that consuming caffeinated beverages with glucose can help to enhance sustained attention (focus) and working memory.
As a result, coffee always contributes to better performance. A cup of coffee will help you fight problems and helps you stay focused. This eventually ensures that you are productive throughout the day.
Sleep Problems
One of the main reasons why we cannot focus on our work is when we have sleep problems. Well, the consumption of coffee has been shown to counter the effects of sleep problems.[15] Coffee contains caffeine, which is why it shouldn’t be consumed if you are going off to sleep. It is said that consuming a cup of coffee eight hours before sleep can interfere with the sleeping pattern at night.
As a result, you may have lesser hours of sleep and feel tired. This further makes you fatigued and tired the entire day. Sleep deprivation can be very harmful, which is why you should be careful with coffee consumption. No matter how much coffee you consume a day, it will harm your productivity if you did not sleep enough.
How does coffee affect your productivity?
Studies have shown that consumption of coffee can actually have an impact on productivity. One of the most ignored aspects is that coffee consumption can be fruitful for boosting willpower. Drinking coffee regularly can help boost self-control and willpower, mostly when you are exhausted.
If you are to make a decision that requires you to be alert, but you are tired, you should never make that mistake. Making a decision when you are tired will eventually lead to you becoming fatigued and succumbing to negotiations. Moreover, in a lot of cases, you might also end up compromising on your values. In short, you shouldn’t make any decisions when you are tired. [16]
Tiredness can, however, be removed if you consume a cup of coffee. It will help you become more alert, thereby helping you stay firm on your grounds. As a result, you will be able to make more stern and better decisions. So, when you have an important decision to make and have a long day waiting ahead of you, it will all become pretty easy with a cup of coffee.
Why does coffee improve alertness and mental performance?
Studies have shown the impact of coffee on improving focus and mental performance. Adenosine, a compound found in the brain, is responsible for causing all drowsiness. But caffeine in coffee is supposed to help block these receptors[17], thereby making it able to sustain the pressure. It is for this reason that most of us do not feel tired when we consume coffee.
As stated above, the low doses of caffeine are said to help enhance alertness and performance. However, it is necessary to note that the caffeine content of coffee does not impact everyone in the same manner.
Your weight and dosage also have an impact on how the caffeine is going to impact you. After a certain time, your body will become tolerant to caffeine, so you might not get the same boost as you got earlier.[18] Therefore, many people, even after consuming two cups of coffee, do not feel much of the impact.
Coffee consumption can help boost
cognitive function and memory. However, whether or not
it helps to increase creativity still remains debatable. No matter how much
coffee can help you, the impact will only be short-lived and will crash after
some time. [19]
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