The workplace has become even more demanding and competitive that one has always to be on his toes to keep pace with all its demands and challenges. Definitely, one can’t do this half-awake. Studies show that work performance declines when alertness levels fall.

Many organizations measure an employee’s efficiency based on his or her productivity and accuracy. Score cards or performance metrics put emphasis on these two components.

Productivity is measured based on the tasks accomplished within a work shift, while accuracy is measured based on the number of errors committed.

When one’s alertness level drops, he or she is prone to commit more mistakes because concentration is also diminished. Moreover, decision-making is crippled and good judgment is blurred.

Poor performance leads to other problems. Work piles up because of inaccuracy and poor productivity. Thus, one may need to unnecessarily work overtime, get more stressed, be less focused, feel fatigue, commit more errors and miss that gig being looked forward to during the weekend.

Poor work performance due to lack of energy and vitality can be abated. Studies show that coffee can specifically help restore energy and alertness levels.

Coffee contributes significantly not only to help one focus and concentrate but also to be alert. According to research, coffee can increase the speed of information processing by 10 percent.

It increases the processing of new stimuli, and enhances analytical skills and response preparation. This translates to meeting one’s targets and increasing competitive advantage without unnecessarily working long hours.

Moreover, coffee has been found to sharpen abilities that decline when one is tired or sleepy. Coffee, according to scientific studies, improves attention span, reasoning ability, memory of details and communication skills.

Imagine the cost of a single mistake because of lack of focus or memory lapse. Or think of the repercussions of delayed projects or accidents because of slowed mental alertness.

Boredom and tiredness brought about by repetitive tasks can also diminish productivity. Drinking coffee at least twice a day, however, can counter these. Coffee contains natural substances that alert the consciousness and increase tolerance to exercise and muscular activity.

Physical fitness and endurance are essential to mental alertness especially for tasks that require long concentration such as those doing Web or creative designs, financial analysis, programming, quality monitoring, and trend analysis.