658-Coffee Makes You Happier

Coffee is happiness. Enough said. Just kidding! Tune into this episode of Everyday Happiness to see why that black liquid gold makes us so happy!

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and I love coffee. As you have likely heard me say countless times throughout my podcast episodes, one of my favorite moments in life is sitting in my comfy chair and sipping my morning cup of coffee. Well, this morning, I happened upon a funny and validating article by Arthur Brooks, renowned happiness scientist and writer for the Atlantic. The whole piece was on how coffee makes you happier. If you have been trying to justify having another cup of coffee, this episode is for you.

 

First, let’s talk about why coffee makes you happy. As you know, caffeine is a component of coffee. When caffeine is ingested, it goes up to the brain to boost a natural chemical called adenosine out of its spot. Adenosine is the chemical that makes you feel tired throughout the day, winding you down over the daylight hours to encourage your body to go to sleep at bedtime. Caffeine essentially takes over the spot in the brain where adenosine sits, so coffee doesn’t actually make you hyper; it just takes away the lethargy.

 

Second, why does this make us happy? Caffeine, in proper moderation, makes you feel less tired, which in turn can release tension and make us feel calmer with a clearer mind. Combined with exercise, caffeine can improve cognitive performance, increase reaction time, and enhance logical reasoning skills. Such features have aided humanity throughout time by increasing productivity, safety, and even innovation. Brooks cited in his article that studies show that long-term caffeine use can have health benefits.

 

So, should we drink coffee all day, every day? Despite Brooks’ obsessive love of caffeine, that isn’t advised. Like anything, too much coffee isn’t good for you. The more your drink, the higher your tolerance to caffeine will get, leading you to drink even more for the same effects. It’s all about moderation! So, have your morning cup of coffee or two, but try to prevent drinking coffee all day. If you see signs of minimized effects, consider a caffeine detox to restart your system; just make sure everyone knows you will be cranky for a week or two!

 

Also, I highly suggest reading the original article by Arthur Brooks, as it is hysterical! I’ve left you the link in the show notes. Until next time, grab that cup of coffee and do something kind for someone else. Better yet, make your kind act buying a coffee for a stranger. 

 

Life is heavy enough, we shouldn’t have to search for happiness.  Get the exclusive happiness email, delivered with a smile twice a month to your inbox. https://www.katiejefcoat.com/email 

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

 

Inspired by this article

• https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/02/coffee-caffeine-happiness-health-benefits/673158/