Coffee and Stress – Do you like coffee, no? For most millennial, especially those who are in their third and final year in college, coffee is one of the drinks that are familiar to them. Drinks that contain lots of caffeine substances are often assessed by the general public can help increase the power of concentration and stamina while working. Moreover, coffee and stress are sometimes interrelated.
When you hear about coffee, automatically the words “deadline” and “hard work” will be reflected in our heads. In addition to these benefits, some people also think that drinking coffee can make us calmer when facing important moments because caffeine is believed can make the body and emotions more stable. However, is that true?
It turns out coffee makes you more anxious
Caffeine compounds in steeping coffee beans can indeed make us more immune from drowsiness and fatigue. But not many know that indirectly, caffeine can also stimulate the hormone norepinephrine and cause anxiety symptoms such as anxiety, trembling, blushing, and an unstable heartbeat. The more caffeine you consume, the more symptoms will arise within you. Therefore, if you rarely drink coffee before, undo your intention to take a triple shot of espresso before carrying out an important presentation or interview session so that all the symptoms of anxiety do not damage these important moments.
Coffee does fight sleepiness but does not increase stamina
It’s true that caffeine can help fight drowsiness, but consuming too much caffeine will make you unable to sleep at night due to too much anxiety and an unstable heartbeat. Many of us often rely on coffee to work hard to prepare what is needed for the next day, such as working on slides that will be presented or just fact-checking in order to answer all questions posed by the examiner. In fact, besides needing proper preparation, you also need adequate rest, and too much caffeine in the body will prevent you from sleeping well. If that’s the case, chances are your important moment to walk according to the plan will be very small. We recommend that you do the preparation in advance so that you do not have to drink H-1 coffee before the execution.
Coffee and Stress: It can actually aggravate your stress
Many of them are still forced to drink coffee in times of stress because of the large amount of work that must be completed in a short time. “If you drink coffee, you can focus, so the work can be done quickly, and if the work is done, the stress will disappear,” they thought in the relation of coffee and stress. But this way of thinking is really wrong because by drinking coffee while under stress, the caffeine will cause an increase in theobromine and theofiline hormones which can make your stress worse. It is recommended when stress begins to hit, reduce coffee consumption so that you can be calmer and think clearly in the face of all the work you have to fulfill.
Coffee is indeed effective in making you more focused, but not in making you physically and mentally calmer. Dear, it’s not wrong to consume coffee if you were a lover of this bitter-tasted beverage, but it’s good to reduce the intensity of consuming coffee, especially when approaching important moments. Don’t forget, besides material preparation, your physical and mental preparation in the long run is far more important than anything.
Deal with stress with meditation
Reference:
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-we-worry/201805/espresso-stress-o-coffee-anxiety-panic
- https://hellosehat.com/hidup-sehat/fakta-unik/bahaya-kopi-berlebihan/
- https://lifestyle.kompas.com/read/2017/04/03/204500720/begini.cara.kopi.pengaruhi.mental.anda
Written by Shafira Amalia Hidayat is an International Relations student who is passionate about writing about social issues and mental health. She aims to someday change the world by helping the people in need and raising awareness through her writing. Her blog is no longer active, but you can reach her at @sapphire.dust on Instagram. See ya, there!
Translated by Sabrina Rizkahil. She read about anything that interests her.
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