I’ve been dropping into my favorite coffee shop for years. Then, amid
the buzz over the economy and what a waste of money my lattes were, I
stopped. Afterward, I found that while passing that coffee shop I missed
the smell, the people, the “me time.”
This combined with my inferior
ability to make a cup of Joe made me realize this experiment was turning
into a latte nonsense.
We often hear about what we can’t and shouldn’t do. But modern
psychology again and again shows us that it’s not all black and white. A
little splurge can be good for you; just sitting somewhere for a moment
in thought isn’t a waste of time. Even what we know about caffeine has
changed. Here are some reasons skipping that latte actually could be bad
for your well being.
The Savoring Truth
Stopping into the coffee shop was a pleasurable way to start my day.
Now that the world has dubbed it an ill-advised thing to do, I even
stand to gain more pleasure from it, according to Australian
researchers. In a study for Weight Watchers reported in the Daily Mail,
they found that those who indulge experience bouts of stress relief and
feelings of happiness. Watching reality TV, an impulse buy, skipping
the gym…all these things can bring on temporary feelings of happiness
and stress relief. I don’t recommend you lay at home all day watching
The Bachelor and shopping on eBay, but there is something to be said
about a brief mood boost from a simple pleasure.
How many work issues could you resolve just by pondering them over coffee? According to experts at Children’s Hospital Boston,
a lot. Self-reflection not only helps you, it can help you better
communicate with co-workers. “Sharing reflections with other staff
members can help develop more effective strategies, with the added
benefit of working as a team,” the researchers reported. “These are
all-important ingredients for sound decision-making, staff skill
development, appropriate service delivery, and effective staff
communication.”
So, instead of carrying a grudge for someone who’s grinding on your
nerves, skip away for a latte. Imaging the damage that could be spared
from an activity the world has shunned as an expensive, fattening waste
of time.
Your Friend the Coffee Bean
Being too isolated could make you sick, according to psychologist Martha K. McClintock of the University of Chicago. In her study
on rodents, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, she found that social isolation affects the longevity of rats.
“Isolation led to a higher production of a stress hormone,
corticosterone, among rats that were kept
alone and subjected to the disturbances of colony life,” the report
indicates. “Additionally, the isolated rats took longer to recover from a
stressful situation than rats that lived together in small groups.
“This level of stress and its duration made the solo rats “prone to
malignancy in late-middle age,” researchers reported.
When you frequent a certain haunt, you have the opportunity to make
friends with the staff and the regulars. Not only is this a fantastic
networking tool, it just feels good to walk into a place every day and
see people you know (cue the Cheers theme).
A Drop of Financial Advice
So how bad is it to spend money on that morning latte? Let’s just say
you purchase a $6 latte five days a week on the way to work. That’s $30
a week, on par with treating your friend to lunch. Why is treating your
friend to lunch not guilt-inducing, but a morning latte is?
According to Suze Orman, you shouldn’t go too crazy on restricting
yourself during a budget makeover or it could lead to sabotage. “Don’t
try to give up all your favorite things at once. If you go cold turkey,
you will explode,” she said in an article for Yahoo! Shine.
The Coffee Cure
Coffee is the devil? It makes you nervous, causes insomnia and will
make your taxes double? Let’s turn this argument on its head and at
least show the benefits of our friend Joe. For example, WebMD
reports that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Type 2
diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Coffee drinkers also have
fewer instances of certain cancers, strokes, and heart arrhythmia.
Caffeine makes pain relievers 40% more effective in treating headaches. And let’s not forget the other component to a latte – milk. We all know it builds strong bones, but it also may fend off certain cancers.
Let it Percolate
Sure, we’ve all seen the pitfalls of spending beyond our means or
having a caffeine crash. But doesn’t it stand to reason that the more we
deny ourselves the more we stand to lose in the long run? We deserve
life’s little pleasures, and science says we need it.
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