How much coffee do you drink?
Workers all over the UK, and indeed the world, wake up with the aroma of coffee in their nostrils, and a caffeinated cup of black gold in their hands. Coffee is how millions of people stay alert and functional throughout the day. In fact, a recent survey of 10,000 professionals in the UK found that 85% drink at least three cups of coffee a day, while 70% said that their work performance would be affected without it.
I think it’s safe to say that we depend on it. But who drinks the most coffee?
I discovered this week that we media staff are the UKs most enthusiastic consumers of coffee. Fact. Given the amount that we drink here at Greener Media, that didn’t come as any great shock, but it did get me wondering why that is, and how much of the copious coffee we drink as an industry is quality, well brewed and drinkable.
While most people in most industries rely on coffee to kickstart their brains in the morning and fuel the long work-day, as well as a means of socialising, some professions drink more than others. Closely followed by police officers and teachers, media professionals and journalists are by far the most addicted to coffee, according to a poll by Pressat. As an industry, we drink over four cups a day each, on average. Also in the top ten were plumbers and tradesmen, nurses and doctors, company execs, telesales operators, IT support staff, retail staff and drivers.
So why do we media professionals drink so much?
Well, the survey found that it was those in high stress jobs that appeared to drink the most. The workers that never stray far from the coffee machine are over-stretched, stressed and under intense pressure, according to Prassat. They drink coffee to function better for longer hours. It’s easy to see how the fast moving, wired-in nature of media and journalism requires workers to seek a little extra stimulation from caffeine to stay alert, creative and productive.
Consuming coffee to get through the stresses and strains of the day is not to be recommended though. Too much caffeine, coupled with stress and anxiety can pose real health risks, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
If I’m honest, we just drink lots of coffee because we love it! The smell, the taste, the way it brings us together. It’s a big part of my writing ritual too. Not a word gets written in the morning until I’ve had my first cup!
How much coffee do you drink? Tweet us @GreenerMediaUK or write to me in the comments section below to share your coffee habits with some of the biggest consumers in the nation. Keep reading this column to make sure it’s about quality, not just quantity! Join the campaign for #betterofficecoffee today!
Next week, we’ll be going on a journey, following the humble coffee bean from Kaldi the Goatherd to the Flat White. Intrigued? Stop by at 10am next Monday to find out more!
