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Jobs, where employees have a low amount of control over their duties, lead to more workplace stress for the employee than the employer, according to a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University. Thus the coffee break to reduce the tension. Coffee breaks are healthful because they relieve stress which helps keep the body healthy.
Americans consume over 300 million cups of coffee every day, according to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Over 75% of coffee lovers brew their daily coffee at home, but the other 25% prefer drinking coffee at specialty shops enjoying the environment with other coffee lovers. This camaraderie echoes the response of stress relief an employee wants during a coffee break at their workplace.
For employees who work at home, a virtual coffee break can be a great stress reliever. Depending upon an individual’s personality, some people who work at home are either more relaxed or stressed than those who work in offices away from home. Virtual coffee breaks are the answer for stressed or lonely people from their fellow employees’ lack of visits. These short periods act as a coffee break around the water cooler or break room, giving employees time to see and be in touch with their fellow workers. Virtual coffee breaks should last between 15 and 30 minutes. The host conducting the virtual coffee break should schedule one break for every 60 minutes of a video conference.
Antioxidants are highly effective against illness due to stress. According to the National Institutes of Health, coffee is the most significant dietary source of antioxidants containing more antioxidants than fruits, vegetables, and green tea, especially polyphenols. Polyphenols are natural compounds in herbs, fruits, and vegetables that protect the body from toxins and unnatural chemicals.
Studies from the School of Psychology at Sydney’s University of New South Wales in Australia showed that men and women respond to stress differently. Research showed that women benefit from more stress relief than men did. Men who work with others felt more stress relief after a coffee break than men who work alone.
Headaches caused by stress affect 80% of adults, and women get them twice as often as men. A heightened cortisol level is a trigger for tension headaches. They can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days. While not as debilitating as migraines, they cause misery and lowered work performance.
According to the National Institutes for Health, blood vessels dilate before a headache. Caffeine narrows blood vessels reducing blood flow to prevent a headache from starting. Some over-the-counter headache medications contain caffeine, so drinking coffee helps ease the headache by lowering the amount of medication required. According to doctors at the Weill Cornell Medical College, coffee can help alleviate these headaches, but more than 400 mg of caffeine a day can cause a headache.
The average cup of brewed coffee has 80 to 120 mg of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee averages 2mg per cup, and espresso can contain up to 150mg per cup. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, caffeinated coffee beverages are healthful. The added sugar, whipped cream, flavored syrups, and other added ingredients make the drinks less healthy. So continue to savor the benefits of a freshly brewed cup of coffee during coffee breaks, virtual or live.
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Author Marilyn Pokorney
Copyright Marilyn Pokorney 2021
