3 Reasons Espresso Could Be Your Shortcut to Productivity (It Works for Elon Musk) The secret to productivity might be in this infamous 100-year-old drink we all know and love. How can entrepreneurs use espresso to power through a productive day without a midday crash?
By Pierre Subeh Edited by Kara McIntyre
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Productivity is without a doubt one of the most important skillsets for any entrepreneur seeking to disrupt their industry, build a brand from the ground up, or seek to change the world in their own way. Staying focused and productive is more common than ever before, and the intersection of using caffeine and being more productive has always been present with a lot of pros and cons. Espresso, however, might be the secret hack to doing more during a working day.
As a founder myself, I've had the pleasure to make new friends that are the world's most prominent leaders and founders. They all have one thing in common: They love caffeine, and they know exactly when and how to drink it in the form of coffee.
Coffee is extremely underrated and although it's available all around us, you would be shocked to know that most coffee we consume is of low quality compared to a barista grade espresso-based coffee drink. I was tired of spending $6 on an iced coffee at Starbucks that tastes watered down most of the time, so I decided to become my own barista at home using an affordable setup. Once I started making my own espresso, my palette expanded and so did my interest in the drink. Now, it's not possible for a coffee shop to top the taste of my favorite homemade drink (an iced latte with oat milk).
The concentrated energy boost that every espresso shot offers is just a small part of its many benefits. Without exaggeration, espresso can improve your focus (both short-term and long-term), positively shift your mood and help you concentrate on your tasks. Here are a three ways espresso shots in a coffee drink could empower your productivity.
1. Espresso can condense your focus
To understand the magic of espresso, you need to understand the sophisticated process of how it all happens. Espresso is made by compressing grounded coffee and then forcing hot water with pressure through the coffee. It's much different from regular drip coffee because it's not watered down and the speedy pressurized process makes the shot extracted very creamy and rich in flavor.
Living in the age of social media and constant distractions, sitting down to drink your favorite coffee drink can mentally help you add a ritual to your schedule to slow down and recap what you need to focus on. I personally always like to drink some coffee while writing important emails or starting my day. In fact, the reason why I love having my own barista set up at home is that whenever I feel distracted or lazy, I just go to my kitchen island and make an espresso — it somehow is a healthy refocus activity. Distractions can be hurting you way more than you can imagine, and finding a solution to maximizing your focus could be your key to success.
Related: 7 Ways to Boost Your Weekly Productivity
Espresso can give you bursts of productivity
Some of the most notable geniuses of our generation including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg love drinking coffee. The secret is in balancing your dose of caffeine preferably at the start of your day to be prior to 6 p.m. and dosing it so that it's only about a cup or two per day. After all, too much of anything is bad for you.
Although there are many different ways to increase your productivity, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. Moreover, research has found that starting our day with a nice espresso-based coffee drink can make us commit better to our goals and be more physically active. Human beings are programmed to produce quality work for intervals of 45 to 90 minutes, then we lose focus and energy. Just a few bursts of productivity a day could be enough to power ourselves to meet our task lists, and that's where you can use espresso to stay focused and energized.
Related: Do You Drink More Coffee Than Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Other Creative Leaders?
Espresso can even give you "shots" of inspiration
The psychology of how we get inspired is very complex; however, we know that creative thoughts come in shots or waves for a lack of a better description. When we drink a more concentrated espresso drink, it moves through our bodies faster than any other liquid. Hitting our central nervous system differently than when you slowly sip a dripped coffee for an hour. Hence, the faster you drink your coffee, the more likely it is for you to get inspired to work on your projects or business.
The most common issue with drinking coffee on the regular is its costly price tag when you go to purchase it from a coffee shop. A solution to that might be creating your own coffee corner in your home or office. Frankly, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to buying a DIY espresso machine from brands such as Breville and Flair. My recommendation is to purchase a setup within your budget that you're actually going to use frequently because most machines do the job.
In closing, I would also add that the trick to making drinking your favorite coffee drink into a daily ritual is to always ensure that your designated coffee station is only used for coffee (nothing else). Recent research proves that habit-forming activities are healthy for maximizing your overall productivity.
