Coffee does not give you energy, or make you feel more awake. The feeling of alertness that coffee causes is due to the fact it causes your heart to beat faster, causing your body to be tricked into temporarily responding as though you had received an adrenaline rush.
This is something I could have sorely used today. Up until now, most of my work has been administrative, or if physical only for a very short time. As such, the lack of caffeine has only had a minimal effect of my work life. No more.
I also work as a server in a restaurant, which anyone can tell you is a fairly physically demanding job. You are on your feet 8, 10, sometimes 12 hours in day, sometimes without a single break (no time). Only a quick smoke break (if you're into that kind of thing), a wolfed down meal, or a hastily chugged coffee to help sustain you.
I don't smoke, and never have. I can certainly devour a meal with the best of them, but my number one solace is coffee. Whenever I start to drag my feet or feel tired, a quick coffee will help turn the tide.
Today I worked a fairly average shift of around 6 hours, but I was totally dead off my feet by the end of it. This is in part because I had worked the evening before and basically came home and went right back the next day. That would typically tire me out, but what made the difference is no coffee. Without a midway pick-me-up or two, I had nothing to pick me up and I felt every sore spot in my legs throughout the day. I actually came the closest I have so far to cracking and drinking some, feeling so lethargic and lacking options that I didn't know what else to do.
I didn't, of course. I drank another cup of hot chamomile, tore into my lunch, and waited for another day of caffeine-less life to be over.
No comments:
Post a Comment