Coffee also treats us to extra bits of dopamine — that
joyous chemical we get from things like exercise, cupcakes
and sex. Harvard University researchers found that people
who drink two to four cups of coffee a day are 50 percent less
likely to kill themselves.
Come to think of it, I do feel a bit depressed. (Normally
I’m an upbeat person — even annoyingly so.) I’m currently
working from Southeast Asia and have no interest in doing
anything fun. Visit a temple, go on a tour, see a museum?
Nope, I’ll just f lop on the couch and watch Netf lix, thanks.
Anchors are just as important in corporate environments
that require teamwork. “Coffee breaks re-establish interper-
sonal interaction,” Barrett says. “Often people in different
departments find themselves in the break room around the
same time, and these are also sometimes important rituals.”
In office culture, breaks tend to happen around coffee,
and breaks are valuable. A 2010 Massachusetts Institute of
Technology study tracked employee performance at Bank of
America’s call centers and found that when staff took coffee
breaks together, they were nearly 20 percent more produc-
tive (as measured by average call time) and 19 percent less
DAYS 4-6: ANCHORLESS
stressed (as measured by biometric sensors). What explains
I begin to feel less depressed and lethargic, but realize I miss
the results? “Strong social groups are beneficial to produc-
more than the physical effects of caffeine. I miss the ritual
tivity,” explained the researchers in their study, and the
— the daily ceremony, and even romance, of gazing at that coffee breaks facilitated that social bonding.
black liquid as it pours from the carafe, taking the first sip
All breaks are not created equal, and simply alt-tabbing
and feeling the mug’s warmth in my hand. I miss sipping
from Excel to Twitter does not give the same recharge as
coffee while reading the news. Without this ritual, I feel lost. stepping away from the computer to let one’s mind wan-
Barrett McBride, a Sacramento-based leadership coach der. This is supported by a 2017 survey from the Institute
and organizational development consultant, tells me that
for Scientific Information on Coffee of 8,000 coffee-drink-
I have lost my “anchor,” something that’s critical in any ing Europeans who were asked why they drink it at work.
workplace. “Anchors re-establish continuity and provide
Forty percent of respondents said the primary reason was
something people can count on in the midst of and in the “to have time to pause and rest while drinking/preparing
aftermath of change,” she says.
coffee,” edging out “to feel more alert” and “to feel less
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