Happy National Coffee Day! I drink a full pot of coffee every morning between 6:00 and 7:30 am. I usually have about three to four large mugs while I read the morning news and prepare the daily headlines update email for the Workopolis team. I put milk in the first cup, but then constantly refill it with black coffee – no more milk. I don’t generally drink a lot of coffee the rest of the day. (A 3:00pm Red Bull keeps me going – as needed.)

So according to clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula who conducted a study of 1,000 coffee drinkers, because most of the coffee I drink is black, I am a little bit old school and a bit of a purist. However the addition of milk to that first cup indicates that sometimes I ‘like to soften the bitterness of life.’ Good to know.

That amount of coffee is about the average, even though I am in the profession that apparently drinks the most coffee. (See below.)

Here’s what your coffee says about you

Dr. Durvasula’s research found that the black coffee drinkers are frank, straightforward and no-nonsense characters. People who prefer decaf, soy, extra-foamy coffee are more likely to be obsessive, controlling, and detail-oriented.

People who like their daily double doubles or lattes tend to be more neurotic and people-pleasing. Instant coffee drinkers naturally show greater chances of being procrastinators.

Finally, those individuals who choose whipped cream covered frozen coffee drinks and other sweeter beverages are overgrown kids who are young at heart, but maybe a little bit immature.

The study didn’t weigh in on the pumpkin spiced latte.

In order to test this theory, I asked my colleague Elizabeth with whom I work closely every day how she takes her coffee. (Since I work closely with her, you think I would know this already. But as a no-nonsense black coffee drinker, I’ve never taken the time to observe.)

She thwarted my attempts at scientific validation by replying, “it depends on the day.” Upon further prodding she confirmed that judging people by their coffee habits is a real thing. For example, a first date with her would go nowhere if her suitor ordered any kind of coffee drink that was covered in whipped cream and sprinkles. Apparently that’s a deal-breaker.

Tea drinkers are generally preserved to be women or British. Hot chocolate drinkers are children or posers.

How much coffee do we drink?

The team at Pressat recently surveyed 10,000 professionals to find out which fields have the highest volume of caffeine addicts. The vast majority of respondents (85%) say they drink at least three cups of coffee a day. Most people (70%) go so far as to say that their ability to do their job or make it through the day would be compromised if they didn’t have their coffee.

It turns out that nurses drink more coffee than executives. Teachers drink more coffee than drivers, and journalists consume the most coffee of all.

The professions that drink the most coffee

The Pressat survey also found that men tend to drink about 5% more coffee than women.

Signs of caffeine withdrawal include headaches, sleepiness and irritability. In fact, caffeine withdrawal is now considered a mental disorder.

How about you? Are you hooked on the bean, or can you function without your daily cup of Joe?

See also:

It’s true: You really can accurately judge a person by their shoes
Study: What you can tell about a person by their facial hair
5 things people will judge you for at work

– Peter Harris

Peter Harris on Twitter

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