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I tried working in a coffee shop after studies claimed it made you more productive
After reading studies relating working in a coffee shop to being more productive and creative, I put the science to the test in my local Starbucks.�
Coffee shops have always been like a second home for me. When I wasnt working there from ages 16 to 21, I was doing University work in a booth or catching up with friends over a croissant.�
Research links coffee to being productive
But since I started working from home, I havent really felt the need to pack my bag up, look semi-presentable, and pay $5 for an iced coffee. That was until I saw the many pieces of research connecting coffee shops and feeling more productive.
Onno van der Groen, a neuropsychology researcher from Edith Cowan University, coined the term Coffee Shop Effect which describes a series of factors adding up to increased levels of productivity and creativity. Such factors included background noise.�
Similarly, a 2012 study from the Journal of Consumer Research found that moderate levels of ambient noise can be perfect for increasing the creative flow.�
So, when the sun was high on Thursday, I packed up my bag, dressed in something other than work-from-home clothes, and trotted off back to my old place of work. Heres what I found.
A tale of four coffees
The first and most obvious positive influence I found was the increased access to semi-decent coffee. Starting my shift at noon, I tucked into a stuffed croissant and an iced white mocha with oat milk. Yes, I know its pretentious.�
The benefits of coffee and its links to being more productive are well documented, which is largely why 73% of Americans drink it every day. Throughout the rest of my shift, I also necked a green tea and three small iced black Americanos. One was decaf – go me!
I did, in fact, find that the ambient noise benefited my creative flow. With the constant bustling of people and chatting, I felt almost obligated to focus on my work and not look like a slob hogging a booth.
There were also no dogs, family members, or household chores muttering in my ear. While working from home has the immeasurable benefit of being at home, it also provides ample opportunity to do everything but actual work. A coffee shop solved that issue for me.�
Am I a coffee snob?
By the third iced coffee and a stunning lack of other hydration, I found myself getting a headache. This is undeniably my own fault though, and not down to Starbucks. I also felt the need to keep my vibe going, not wanting to fall off that productivity push and find myself slumped down watching TikTok with my headphones in.�
Though the coffee is arguably less exciting at home (unless you try these recipes), my bank account was not thanking me by the end of my shift. Sure, there were cheaper options to choose from, but its a little like going to McDonalds and asking for carrot sticks.�
I was undoubtedly more focused on my work, especially with headphones in, but I also struggled at times to break away from my core programming. That programming being super nosey.�
The following list details but a few of the interesting actions I observed:
- A woman picked an old cigarette off the outside floor and proceeded to smoke it
- A man dropped his muffin on the floor and audibly swore
- The manager had to tell a barista to get off his phone 3 times
- A child stood and stared at me a metre away for a full two minutes
- A man jumped on a Zoom meeting without headphones
- An old man asked the barista if they served burgers
If I had an unlimited supply of money, or liked drip coffee, then working in Starbucks would be a valid course of action. Its also reasonable to assume that the change in environment played a significant part in my sudden revitalization, suggesting that spending every day there would inevitably land me with similar issues to spending all my time at home.�
Still, I saw the coffee shop effect in full swing, but that might have just been my caffeine and sugar high making me more productive.
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