Is Coffee Good for Relaxation? (Solved & Explained!)

For most people, a moderate amount of coffee consumed slowly every day is good for relaxation. Coffee has been shown to increase focus and a person’s sense of control, enhance mood, counteract the effects of chronic stress, and produce an overall sense of calm. Taken in moderation, almost anyone can enjoy the relaxing benefits of coffee.

The rest of this article will explain the calming benefits of drinking a balanced amount of coffee.

Can drinking coffee help you deal with stress?

While the image of a high-powered executive rushing to a full day of work at a busy office with a tray of coffees in hand may conjure up stressful thoughts, this doesn’t tell the whole story. A moderate amount of coffee can actually help alleviate the negative effects of both chronic and unexpected stress.

Is there any scientific support for the idea that coffee is good for relaxation?

According to Psychology Today, depression research has discovered coffee’s helpfulness. For example, a decade-long cohort study found that older women who drank at least two cups of coffee per day experienced a 15% decreased risk of depression versus older women who drank no more than one cup of coffee per week.

How can coffee help you relax if it is filled with a stimulant like caffeine?

Although it seems counterintuitive, coffee can increase a person’s sense of relaxation because the caffeine it contains aids the brain in the release of dopamine, which is the feel-good brain chemical that people who struggle with depression or anxiety often have a low amount of. In short, coffee helps your brain tell your body to feel happier.

Apart from helping with mood regulation, how can coffee help you relax?

Tied to its ability to help the brain with its dopamine levels is coffee’s effects on a person’s energy and sense of elation. Coffee can help a drinker feel simultaneously more energetic and more in control, which is relaxing if you struggle with feeling out of control or unrelaxed due to lethargy.

Won’t a caffeine buzz from coffee keep you from relaxing?

While pounding back cup after cup of coffee can certainly give you a large buzz followed by an unhealthy crash, drinking a moderate amount of coffee over a gradual period of time can keep you alert and focused without feeling overwhelmed. One of coffee’s effects is to block adenosine receptors and thereby stop your brain from having stress responses like bad mood.

Can drinking coffee help you deal with chronic stress?

Apart from helping boost your mood and handle stress better in the short-term, the caffeine in coffee may also help the brain do a better job of storing dopamine in the long-term. Because of this, a person who consumes a moderate amount of caffeine may experience fewer stress-related ailments in the future, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.

How can you get even more relaxation benefits out of drinking coffee?

Drinking coffee by itself can certainly have a positive impact on your mood and ability to handle stress, and pairing caffeine with exercise can multiply those benefits. Consuming coffee prior to vigorous physical activity can enhance your exercise performance and leave you feeling more relaxed and less stressed throughout the rest of the day.

Can you relax just from the smell of coffee?

As a matter of fact, the mere smell of coffee can positively affect your brain, enhancing your mood and promoting a general sense of calmness. These relaxing effects are in addition to the potential antioxidant benefits of the scent of coffee, so spending time smelling your coffee before you drink it can be great for your health.

Are there any risks to relying too much on coffee for relaxation?

Like with any good thing, coffee needs to be taken in moderation in order to avoid long-term drawbacks, such as fatigue. Consuming too much caffeine over a long period of time can make your blood sugar fluctuate, which has an adverse effect on anxiety, and people who are overly sensitive to caffeine may have poor sleep from too much coffee.

Is there a way to drink coffee so that you get its benefits without feeling jittery?

One way to enjoy the increased focus and energy that coffee brings is to mix it with milk, creamer, butter, or perhaps even a bit of coconut oil. Adding a fat to your coffee will slow the “hit” of caffeine so that you can still reap the benefits of steady energy without getting too much caffeine all at once.

What is a healthy amount of coffee to drink for relaxation?

For anyone who isn’t caffeine-sensitive, it should be safe to drink up to two cups of caffeinated coffee, with those cups being consumed slowly throughout the day rather than guzzled all at once. If you listen to your body and drink accordingly, coffee should help you feel less anxious and jittery over the course of the day.

What is the best time of day to drink coffee in order to relax?

Even doctors who extol the benefits of drinking coffee daily highlight the importance of saving the drink for the first half of the day, or certainly no later than mid-afternoon. Because coffee stays in your bloodstream for up to 10 hours, you don’t want to drink it so late that it affects your sleep.

What are some other ways that coffee can help you relax?

As great as the physiological benefits of a moderate amount of caffeine are, coffee can also help you relax due to its role in social events. As a drink that is flexible enough to be enjoyed either alone or with others, coffee can foster a desire to connect with other people through coffee dates or similar shared experiences.

Are there relaxation benefits tied to setting apart time for drinking coffee?

An important aspect of relaxing self-care is to deliberately set apart time for yourself, and having a regular coffee ritual can help. If that means giving yourself 10 minutes in the morning or early afternoon to step away from work and drink coffee outside or at your favorite shop, then go for it!