Personally, I fully agree with Schopenhauer, Willink, and all the other early birds, who preach the gospel of early mornings. I can clearly see why it’s a good thing and why I should get up every morning at 5am. The problem is that it’s never been natural for me to wake up at 5am. Not even at 7am for that matter.
Read MoreOn the addictiveness of caffeine
For me there’s definitely an addictive dimension to coffee. It’s not just that I love the smell and taste of it, but in the morning I really feel like I need it in order to get “fully operational”. As said, caffeine is a stimulant and it also taps into the brain's dopamine stores, causing very pleasant feelings. There’s also a habitual, and for me almost ritualistic, part to preparing coffee. It brings me great joy to grind the beans, fill up the portafilter's basket and do the tamping, and then finally extract a shot of espresso at exactly 9 bars of pressure. It’s a beautiful process and feels almost scientific.
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