Adding More to Coffee Than Gossip

To maintain social distancing, we switched to work-from-home mode, which kept coffee breaks away from us for a long time. Now that offices have been reopened and proper COVID-19 guidelines for office spaces are being followed, the world is back on track. If you’re having a coffee break right now, you should make sure it’s a safe one. 

Everyone associates coffee with a different emotion. For teenagers, coffee brings to mind memories of friends getting together and making fun of each other. In contrast, coffee reminds the book lovers of books they can read on relaxing nights, sipping the delicious coffee made amazingly from brewed coffee beans.  

I connect with coffee because of my last workplace (I was a Chai Lover before that 😋), where I used to have coffee breaks with my colleagues.   

Do you know that according to a survey by ISIC (The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee) on 8,000 employees, 67 percent of employees said they drink at least one cup of coffee every day at work? Interestingly, 40 percent of these employees agreed they go for coffee to take a break, notable, isn’t it? Further study indicated that 26% of respondents use coffee to socialize. It demonstrates the importance of coffee in the workplace; as American filmmaker David Lynch once said, “Even a bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all.” 

Whether you get your coffee from a machine or a coffee shop nearby your office, it’s critical to follow COVID-19 guidelines to ensure your safety. Although the coffee consumer in a cafeteria cannot control all aspects of hygiene and sanitization, personal hygiene can be ensured. Though not 100% feasible, try opting for a café (if going outside) that seems to be following time-demanded guidelines. Some hints suggesting the same would include the presence of a foot sanitizer at the entrance, staff wearing masks and hand gloves, an appropriate distancing between consecutive tables, etc.  Before sitting in the office cafeteria for a coffee break, sanitize your hands before and after using the coffee machine.  

If there are any irregularities in the office cafeteria, report them to the appropriate authority or request the staff to ensure proper hygiene and safety. To make things easier, carry a hand sanitizer with you. 

Have you heard of the phrase “Love at First Sight”? For me, it was “Love at First Sip 😍” with coffee. I used to have coffee even before joining that office, but I was not impressed by it. However, a few coffee breaks convinced me to break up with Chai (Tea) and embark on a new ☕ coffee journey. 

During the pandemic, I looked for the best coffee shop in my neighborhood but couldn’t find any. However, I managed to taste excellent handmade coffee offered by my South Indian neighbors. They showed me how to make a new type of coffee: South Indian Filter Coffee (Kaapi). 

Everything is now open, hence don’t make yourself vulnerable to viruses. We all need a break full of gossip, coffee, good friends, and free free from viruses. I wish you the safest coffee breaks possible in the future! 

Pankaj Rai.