We’re drinking more coffee while we work from home—here's why

If you’ve found yourself drinking more coffee while working from home than you normally would in the office, you’re not the only one. And apparently, there are psychological reasons for it.

For many of us, coffee is our savior and we all have our own morning rituals and our own ideas of the best time to drink coffee. Whether it’s just wanting to be cozy or feel more awake, you might find yourself craving a cup more than you used to.

Coffee Direct, a company that delivers freshly roasted coffee beans right to your door, took a survey of its customers. They found that over 50 percent of their surveyed customers admitted to drinking more coffee while working from home. Twenty percent said they were drinking one more cup of coffee every day than usual. 

Sixty-nine percent said they were making coffee to have more breaks throughout the day, 39 percent said it helped them with stress, and 27 percent said it increased their motivation.

 Why are we drinking more coffee

Psychologist and wellbeing consultant Lee Chambers has shared why we may be drinking more coffee than we used to.

According to Chambers: "Firstly, we are surrounded by more environment cues to 'brew up' when working from home. From seeing mugs and coasters to walking through our kitchens, our domestic environments are designed to live, relax and express ourselves in."

He continues: "We are more likely to be triggered to think about making a coffee, to think about things that may lead us to the kettle, or to seek an element of psychological separation from work by having a break and relaxing with a brew."

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Basically, because we know our kitchen is right there, and are surrounded by things that remind us of coffee, we are more likely to get up and make one. 

Chambers says our uptick in java consumption also has a lot to do with control and our wellbeing: "As we have more authority over our working patterns, the ability to build in coffee breaks has fallen more within our control." He says that creating  "moments of disconnection are vital to our wellbeing."

Another important factor is moving our body—being able to get up and make a coffee means we can move away from our screens. Chambers says that making coffee can be a creative, mindful activity and because we aren’t able to go to coffee shops and have social meet-ups, it can feel like a novelty. 

Leaving your desk to make a cup of coffee is "a moment of peace carved out for ourselves in uncertain times," Chambers adds. 

Our coffee breaks are completely in our control and can act as a way to break up our day and provide a moment of relaxation and calm. So if you find yourself wandering off to make one more coffee, it might actually be helping to reduce stress and give you a good break. But make sure you don’t overdo it. Caffeine jitters are real!