The Morning Person: Coffee vs Tea

I do not consider myself to be a morning person. I would rather stay longer in bed than get up early.

I enjoy drifting off to sleep while the sun comes up and the raucous cries of birds that belong in a pot of soup are being heard.

The mornings usually start slowly, depending on the activities from the previous night. I enjoy the nighttime. I will reserve my nocturnal propensity for another story. In this story, I share my morning routine and the part that a simple decision (coffee or tea) plays in determining productivity levels during the day.

Source: Calm Moment

Wake up!

The alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. The vibration from the alarm alone is enough to snap one out of hypnosis. SNOOZE! I hit the snooze button to lock in an extra 10 minutes of sleep. I eventually get up at 7 a.m., mumbling a phrase from a movie I saw ages ago; “One foot, then the other."

I remove my clothes and pace around the apartment for a few minutes before deciding whether or not I should take a warm bath.

Shower

I jump into the bathroom with a towel, turn on the shower tap, and let the cool water run from my hair down to my feet before scrubbing away lingering memories with soap and a sponge. I finish by brushing my teeth and using a towel to dry off the water from my body.

Get Ready

I comb my hair first, patting it down into shape before moving on to skincare. In this order: toner > serum > moisturizer > sunscreen. After putting on my clothes and giving the dashing reflection in the mirror a good look, I move to the living room.

Meditate

A girl sitting in a lotus position. Source: Vector Stock

Guided meditation is playing in the background as I gently close my eyes and stretch out on the couch in the lotus position. Every heartbeat is audible as my mind becomes more still. My breathing takes centre stage in guiding me toward stillness as sounds from my surroundings rush in. Silence is loudest when there is complete stillness. My eyes open to scenes of a familiar environment and a renewed sense of awareness as I take one last deep breath.

Coffee Vs Tea

The moment I get out of bed, I start keeping track of my body's energy levels. Through self-care practices and meditation, I experience a small dopamine boost as well as a serotonin boost. At the end of these tasks, I have a good sense of how my body feels. From there, the decision is fairly simple.

1. Low energy: Coffee
2. Medium energy, a heavy work plan for the day: Coffee
3. Medium energy, a little work plan for the day: Green Tea
4. High energy: Green Tea

Coffee

The caffeine gives a quick boost of energy and a razor-sharp focus. With the rising energy levels, a mountain of work turns into a cute sand castle. I become more talkative and plan in this state, while constantly looking forward to the next creative outlet to take on outside work.

Green Tea

For sustaining constant energy, jasmine-flavored green tea has emerged as a go-to beverage. I particularly enjoy staring outside while holding the hot cup in my hand, taking in the scenery and watching the morning rush.

Listen to a podcast

Ever since the lockdown went into full effect, Radio Headspace has been in my morning routine. Listening to a new episode is one of the simple pleasures that I look forward to as I transition from routine to the unpredictable nature of work.

The buzz from a Microsoft Teams call or an Outlook email is a jolt out of any stage of the routine. Some things can’t be helped afterall.

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Jay Jay