Tea at workplace- “Experience and Effect”

Introduction

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot water over cured leaves of Camellia Sinensis plant. It has a cooling slightly bitter astringent flavor which many people enjoy. From China to the United Kingdom, Morocco to India, tea is among the most widely consumed drinks on the planet (second only to water). There are many different types of tea; some teas, like Darjeeling and Chinese greens, have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have vastly different profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral or grassy notes.

There is almost no workplace which doesn’t have a cup of tea. People at work start their day with a refreshing cup of tea and off-course the noon break cannot take place without a cup of tea. These breaks are an excuse for everyone to stress their legs, enjoy a sweet cup of tea and indulge in some idle office chit-chat.

Tea is a staple drink to every office pantry as the office goers drink more than a million cups every year. More than being just being a drink, tea is now considered to be a “magical elixir” with excellent health benefits associated with it. Tea has also replaced coffee at most work places because of the general health benefits and boosting work performance

While one can’t begin to know everything about tea, it’s wonderful to explore many amazing insights on tea, especially at workplace.

Let’s find out!!!

 

Benefits of tea at workplace

Nowadays, the work culture has changed and it has become highly challenging for the employees to deliver the promised performance. The rising amount of competition has placed many employees under lot of stress with long working hours. The stress of completing their works before the deadline tends to leave them drained out both mentally and physically. Drinking a cup of tea relaxes, soothes and uplifts our mood.

Tea also heightens alertness, banishes lethargy and beats fatigue. With no surprise we can say that tea is the all time favorite drink at workplace. Tea is the perfect way to feel better, and feel energized enough to carry on with the day.

Many office goers prefer coffee which is not healthy if consumed in excess. Such a problem never arises with a cup of tea. Due to this reason, people are opting for tea over coffee. Tea leaves are naturally high in antioxidants which prevents the body from the free radicals developed due to the hectic lifestyle and polluted environment. Tea can be a great “immuno-booster” at workplace, making you less susceptible to all those viruses doing the rounds at work. It is also great for combating stress at office and also reduces risk of lifestyle diseases.

 

Hurry…Burry…Tea time…

It’s 9 o’ clock in the morning and you have just landed at your office seat. You sit and relax, take some deep breaths and immediately turn on your laptop. You have not slept the entire night due to the meeting which is going to take place in a while…

You are off-course stressed out and guess what you do next??? You just dial the office pantry number and order a cup of tea!!! As soon as you sip that magical cup of tea, you are refreshed and boosted up all of a sudden for the meeting. The winning element grasps all over you and you are ready to fire up.

Tea is the king of drinks at workplace due to several reasons and is considered as the best beverage for office goers. It is said to have remarkable relaxing effect, combats fatigue and even has the ability to override severe sleep deprivation. The great property of tea i.e. ‘‘restoration of function’’ is grand for those who work under a lot of stress.

 

The H20 Replacement…

Water is essential for the basic functioning of human body and is an important rehydrating agent for us but how often do you remember to drink water while busy with work? Not drinking enough water can dehydrate you and interfere with normal digestive and circulatory functioning.

But now you don’t have to worry!!!

The good news is that drinking 3 or more cups of tea is considered better than drinking the same amount of water because studies have proved that the antioxidants in tea boost good health, and at the same time rehydrate your body.

 

Life savior for Workaholics!!!

A workaholic is a person who is addicted to work and has no time for anything else other than their work. They live a very stressful life very often with very less sleep, unplanned eating habits andmuch more. This puts them under a lot of stress which ultimately results in increasing risk of heart diseases and diabetes.

Good news for the workaholics!!!

Tea can be a life a savior for the workaholics. Consuming tea often can give them the mental support and strength to carry on the long hours of work smoothly. The caffeine present in tea can help to overcome the sleep deprivation without effecting the efficiency and quality of work.

Other benefits include the cardio protective action of the tea – “It helps by widening blood arteries to reduce the risk of clots, and the antioxidants called ‘flavonoids’ in tea can slow down the onset and risk of heart disease.”

So, for all the workaholics should do one small thing for your health – “Start having 3 to 4 cups of green tea at work at regular intervals.”

 

Chit-chat or gossip with tea

Who doesn’t like to chit-chat a little and gossip about the pals. Tea drinkers at workplace are very sociable and develop a great friendship over a cup of tea. This is the only reason that tea breaks are an essential part of coping with sedentary office life.

Let us understand the science of Tea breaks!!!

Tea breaks originated approximately 200 years ago. They began when people started work at five or six in the morning and employers allowed a break for food and tea mid-morning. Between 1741 and 1820 industrialists, landowners and clerics tried to stop tea breaks claiming they made workers lazy. The workers made a stand and the break remains today.

Regular tea breaks are being supported at workplace in order to boost the work performance among the employees. There is a whole lot of science behind a small “Tea Break.” There are a number of studies to support the idea that taking regular breaks boosts workplace culture and productivity.

Small tea breaks can help as follows:

• Stress reliever
• Increased focus
• Boost productivity
• Energy recharge
• Increase in bonding
• New idea creations
• Team building
• Improve communication

 

Bridging social gaps with Tea

What can be better than chit-chatting over a cup of tea!!!

According to Cary Cooper who is an Occupational Psychologist, “Tea breaks are an essential part of coping with sedentary office life. Nowadays we sit in front of screens not communicating eyeball to eyeball and even e-mail people in the same building. We need to make people more active and see other people, and a tea break is one way of doing this perfectly”.

Tea is a fine way to build relations at workplace. Lot of emotions spur out during the tea break, great friendships for lifetime take place and the efficiency of communication rises among the employees. Whatever explanations are there but at the end of day, it’s all about the joy of sharing a hot drink together, getting some time to stretch one’s legs and take a well deserved break.

Boost your productivity at work with Tea

Time is critical, so making the most out of it is important especially at workplace. There is only one way to increase your output at work is by- “efficient working” and this requires a paced up brain. Being more productive at work isn’t rocket science, but it does require being more deliberate about how you manage your time. It’s a human tendency to feel drained out after a few hours of work. There is always a slump in our productivity mid-afternoon, especially if you have eaten a big lunch. Here comes in picture the magical elixir – Tea.

The magical aroma and warmth of tea has the tendency to perk you up. Starting your day with a cup of tea relaxes your mind, body and soul. Tea has a magical quality to help you walk through a stressful day and helps you unwind at the end of the day. There have been numerous studies on tea boosting your productivity levels at work. The studies prove that productivity level is better among the tea drinkers than the non-tea drinkers.

A high quality strong cup of tea exactly gives your body the power to reenergize. Unlike coffee, which when drunk in excess can be bad for health; tea has some complex components such as Theobromine and Theophylline which are said to be the “productivity enhancers.”

Theobromine works a lot like caffeine; it is also an alkaloid, but studies reveal that theobromine has a lesser adverse impact on the human CNS or central nervous system and the added bonus is that theobromine is not addictive!!!

Theophylline doesn’t stimulate the central nervous system as much as caffeine; It relaxes smooth muscles in the airway, making breathing easier while also stimulating both the rate and force of contraction of the heart. Theophylline is also an alternative for those who are allergic or sensitive to caffeine. Green and black tea contains the largest quantity of theophylline.

So, what are you waiting for?

“If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”
-By William Gladstone

Brew up a healthy cup of tea at office today and get revitalized enough to find your passion for work once more!

Suggestions

Companies should organize daily morning breaks so that employees at workplace become more social and are encouraged to leave their desks to chat over free hot drinks. Monthly or weekly tea parties should also be organized wherein discussions among the employees can take place.

Please add your valuable comments below to spread the awareness of tea at workplace!!!