CanadianPrep: Feeding a Coffee(shop) Addiction

My coffee addiction is notorious, ridiculous, uncontrollable, somewhat shameful, and part of my identify. I can't function without 2 cups of coffee first thing in the morning. I can't survive past 3pm without a caffeine pick-me-up. And don't ask me to head out for after-work drinks unless the bar serves coffee, or there is a Starbucks on the way.

My need for coffee surpasses the drink itself to the establishments that have fed my addiction over the years. They have become my saviors after long drives along an empty highway or hours stuck mindlessly listening to art history lectures. From high school, to university, and through to my current job, coffee shops have always been my place of work. I've written countless papers, studied for countless exams, and put together countless presentations in coffee shops in cities as near and far as Orlando, Burlington (Vermont), Kingston, Warsaw, and Toronto (to name a few). They are my place of comfort - where I know my brain will be able to soak up the caffeine and the buzzing atmosphere to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and hash out the task at hand.

I may now be working from a cubicle that has become my second home.... but I still haven't kicked my coffee ways. And now I've learned to recreate the coffee shop atmosphere from the comfort of my own desk at work or couch at home. Here are my top three tips for feeding your own coffee shop addiction - on your own terms:

1) Perfect the background noise:

Studies have shown that a healthy dose of background noise actually helps productivity. I myself get anxiety working in impeccably quiet spaces (like libraries) and get terribly distracted in loud spaces (like my overly-gregarious office). Coffitivity provides the perfect amount of background chatter and dish-clanging to mimic the noise in my beloved coffeeshops.

2) Invest in a good pair of headphones:

Headphones come in functions, colors, and prices to suit every need these days. If you haven't tried them yet, I highly recommend the new headphones from apple. I rather despised the old ones that just never seemed to fit my ears. The new ones have been redesigned to be the most comfortable earbud headphones on the market - and I agree! I especially recommend them if you wear earrings, because the over-ear styles tend to squish uncomfortably.

3) Drink Your Coffee in Style: