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Coffee is the Engineer’s fuel and best friend. We consume a lot of it and rely on it to get the boost required to do the work. Consuming a lot of caffeine is part of the engineers’ culture, and it is quite easy to make friends by buying them coffee. In this post, we will share how to take advantage of this drink.
In general, drinking coffee for engineers is like drinking water. On average, engineers consume at least two to three cups a day or about 300-400 milligrams of caffeine. Health studies suggest that having that much coffee has no impact on your health; consuming that much coffee on average can stimulate the brain and force it to maintain focus and work for longer hours.
The high reliance on caffeine is due to the high technicality of the work that requires constant focus to solve problems. Having at least one cup a day is essential to give the brain the boost needed.
The 3 best times for engineers to have coffee
- Drink coffee when you wake up: Having a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up or with your breakfast can help you wake up and possibly keep you awake during the day.
- Drink coffee after lunch: After a heavy lunch, the body usually goes into a hibernation mode where it gets sleepy very quickly; having coffee after lunch can give you the boost needed to finish the second half of the day.
- Drink coffee midday: Solving the mind-boggling tasks in the morning can be much easier than doing it at 3 PM; you are more likely to spend more time on the same problem if you do it in the afternoon. Having coffee at midday can give you a good boost.
The 3 worst times for engineers to not have coffee
- Having coffee after 5 PM: Having coffee after 5 PM is probably not a good idea, especially if you are going home very soon. Coffee will only make it harder to wind down and sleep early.
- Having coffee at dinner: Is a big no-no; even if you work very late hours, coffee will do very little to help you stay focused. Humans are not built to work at night, and having coffee at night will do more harm than good.
- Have coffee before you sleep: Another big no-no, and it will probably keep you awake for a few hours before you can sleep. Best to avoid coffee at night at all costs.
How much coffee is too much?
There is no right number on how much coffee is too much. Science does not have a definite answer for this one. However, having more than 400 milligrams a day will probably make no difference to your mental acuity.
In fact, if you are exhausted, it is likely because you have not slept much the night before; coffee can not do miracles. No matter how tired you are, coffee can not wake you up, and it will do you more harm than good, so best to avoid having more than your regular intake.
It is totally possible to go through the day without having coffee or just one cup when you wake up. I found that having one cup in the morning using my expresso machine was all I wanted to stay awake during the day. Check my coffee machine on Amazon.
What alternatives do engineers have besides Coffee?
Usually, energy drinks have more caffeine than a regular cup of coffee. It might be too strong and sometimes not very healthy. Yet if you do not like coffee, energy drinks are the second-best choice.
On the other hand, not having coffee or energy drinks altogether and replacing them with activities that can keep you focused also works. I found that going for a 10 walk after lunch can substantially boost your health and help keep your mental acuity high without coffee.
Moreover, because most engineering jobs are office-based, sitting down in front of the computer for a few hours can put you to sleep. You should consider standing up and leaving your desk every 1-2 hours to go to the bathroom, walk around the office, eat a snack or drink water. You are more likely to stay awake by doing those activities than drinking too much coffee and never leaving your desk.
Is drinking too much coffee a sign of not having enough sleep?
To some degree, drinking too much coffee could mean that you are not getting enough sleep. Engineers have a very technical job that can make you work on the same problems for hours or days. Not prioritising sleep will not do you any good.
If you are exhausted around midday, you probably need to go to bed early. Coffee can only give you a temporary boost; your body still needs rest and recovery, and only sleep can offer that.
The Bottom Line
There is no doubt that coffee is an excellent drink to boost your mental abilities. Having more than three cups a day will probably not do you any good, as sleep is still the best fuel for engineers to stay focused.
Working in a demanding industry that requires lots of work requires more communication and multitasking to perform your daily tasks effectively. Coffee will not make much difference to your ability or make your job any easier; therefore, avoid too much reliance on this drink.
