Caffeine is a drug. We just don’t think about being one.
But from a scientific standpoint, consuming caffeine is just an illusion for GSD: Getting Sh*t Done
Better content through caffeine?
Caffeine isn’t a stimulant. True stimulants, like amphetamine, keep you awake and pumped. Caffeine doesn’t so much wake you up as it does prevent you from falling asleep.
Caffeine blocks certain receptors in the brain, which would be otherwise affected by adenosine, a sleep-promoting chemical. Caffeine is like sticking a block under the brake pedal – making it impossible to slow down. Full steam ahead.
So how does caffeine affect creativity?
Caffeine gives us concentration and focus, which is actually the opposite of what we want. Focused minds prevent abstract ideas from being linked together. According to New Yorker writer, Maria Konnikova, “a wandering, unfocussed mind” is actually beneficial when it comes to being creative, “…a break in intense concentration may increase unconscious associative processing… that it turn, allows us to perceive connections that we would otherwise miss.”
The bottom line? Caffeine is good for getting stuff done. Already have a brilliant idea? Great, chug a RedBull and get writing. If you’re struggling to come up with a good idea,slowly back away from the coffee maker and grab a beer from the fridge…
Better content through alcohol?
I’d like to introduce you to alcohol: caffeine’s unruly older sibling.
Alcohol affects the neurons in your brain that is responsible for transmitting nerve signals.Alcohol slows down those recpetors which results in a mental slowdown of sorts. On the plus side… alcohol increases the amount of dopamine in your brain. So you might seem dumber, but you’ll surely be happier!
From a performance-enhancing perspective, alcohol doesn’t look too promising, however, there’s one side effect that has been helping the creative type for thousands of years: reduced inhibitions.
Instead of focusing intently on a certain word or phrase, alcohol says, “Nah, you got this! Keep on writing, Hemingway!” You’ll get all your ideas down, rather than getting hung up on grammar and syntax.
So perhaps the key is to write drunk, and polish things up afterwards with a little caffeine pumped into your system. Beer is good for kick starting your ideas, and Coffee is good for executing those ideas.