How to Spread Positivity with Coffee

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Updated: March 29, 2019

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Coffee drinking is a simple pleasure useful for a quick pick-me-up. It also has the power to connect people and promote positive thinking and social behavior. It can be a simple, meditative ritual. By being mindful during your coffee break or morning trip to the coffee shop, you can become mindful and reconnect to your world again.


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    Select environmentally friendly coffee. Look for coffee that promotes good social and environmental practices. By supporting good living conditions for people and animals, you help build a better Earth.
    • Fair trade practices ensure growers are paid fairly.
    • "Shade Grown" coffee helps promote a diverse ecology, friendly to wildlife and ecosystems.
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    Enjoy the ritual of coffee-making. Although a simple and mundane activity, making coffee can be a ritual which helps you focus and relax. It is often the beginning of a daily routine or a pause in the day, allowing an opportunity to embrace the moment.
    • Embrace the moment. Focus on the coffee, not stresses like a deadline or the meowing cat. They can wait a few minutes. Keep your attention on what you are doing.
    • Add your favorite flavor enhancers (such as sugar, cream, or milk) with deliberation. Do one thing at a time, carefully, to reach your goal of making yourself happy.
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    Savor the taste and aroma. Do this by sipping slowly and focusing your attention on the intricacies of the taste and the fragrance of the beans. According to F.B. Bryant, Ph.D author of Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience, savoring positive experiences can increase happiness in the short and long term.[1]
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    Let it warm your hands. According to research by Chen-Bo Zhong and Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, warm ambient temperatures affect your perception of others, related to the metaphorical association with "warm personality" traits. [2] A warm cup of coffee may help you feel warm and friendly.
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    Invite friends for coffee break. Coffee is something people gather around and talk over. Conversing--or simply savoring a quiet moment--with friends also compounds the positive experience of savoring. It "is the glue that bonds people together, and it is essential to prolonging relationships" and "people who savor together, stay together." [3] When you engage in conversation, be polite, well-mannered, and listen more than you speak.
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    Relax. Have a seat and take in your surroundings, whether it is at home, your break room, a diner, or a coffeehouse. Get out of your own head for a moment, and quietly observe the world about you. Listen to the sounds around you. Gaze out the window. Pet the cat. Absorb the wealth of positive experiences at your disposal around you in this comforting environment.
    • What do you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel?
    • If there is any artwork, meditate on it. How does it make you feel? What sort of moment does it capture?
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    Pay it forward. Want to make someone's day? Tell your barista you'd like to leave money for people who come after you. Do your best to be discreet as it's important that it be seen as a gift given in good spirit and not a call for attention. Is there a homeless person outside? Offer to get them a warm drink. They'll appreciate it and you'll feel connected with your human nature.
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    Make conversation with a barista or other customers. Ultimately, human beings make coffee, and honoring them helps create a pleasant atmosphere. A nice "thank you" is always appreciated. If they're not busy, try to chat them up and get to know them. Let them know you appreciate their work verbally and by leaving a good tip. When you come into the café, greet people by their first name if you can. Taking time to make someone feel good about themselves will make you both feel comfortable and enhance positive vibes in the world.

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    • Coffee is not supposed to taste bitter, despite popular misconceptions. If it does, it has been made incorrectly. Good coffee shops provide lessons for you to learn how to make a wonderful pot of coffee. Consider signing up.
    • Use a favorite coffee cup or mug if possible. Don't save your best coffee drinking container for "best" use it whenever you like, especially when it's a more environmentally friendly option.


    • Excessive caffeine intake can cause health problems or poisoning. Be sure to limit intake to a safe amount for your body. You can ask for decaf drinks from your barista.
    • The last thing you want is a second-degree burn while trying to clear your mind. Be mindful of your limbs and the temperature of the coffee. If it's too hot, wait and use the time to inhale the steaming sensation.


    1. Bryant, F., & Veroff, J. (2007). Savoring: A new model of positive experience. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
    2. Zhong, C. B., & Leonardelli, G. J. (2008). Psychological Science, 19(9), 838-842.
    3. Kennelly, Stacey (2012). 10 Steps to Savoring the Good Things in Life. Berkeley, C.A.: The Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley

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    Categories: Coffee Appreciation | Coffee and Tea Health Benefits

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