Sips for Stability
January 18, 2023
Author: Grace Gefsky
Editor: Lauren Cuppy
Our generation seems to pride itself on a society-wide, undying caffeine addiction. Coffee is everywhere: in bustling cafes, influencers’ Day in the Life routines, and embedded as a key personality trait of TV characters like Rory Gilmore, who cannot go an hour without a refill.
My family grew up making fun of my Mom for her fierce need for caffeine each and every morning. Yet, as I watched fellow teenagers practically reverberate after chugging a Starbucks iced-latte I, in an effort to fit in with my friends, started doing the same. By age 15, I had surrendered; coffee seamlessly assembled into my daily routine, and I became a complete hypocrite.
Years later and coffee continues to be my driving reason to get out of bed, but not for the obvious purpose of the spike in energy. In fact, I am an infamously slow coffee drinker; my friends like to make fun of me every day for the snail-like speed at which I finish my cappuccino. But, more than the caffeine, it is the reassurance of a daily routine—walking to a cafe by myself and grabbing my drink—that augments my love for coffee.
I walk to central campus every morning; regardless of the weather, I get dressed, put on my headphones, and am on my way. On my walk, I call my Mom, put on an audiobook, listen to a podcast, or play my favorite music and, halfway through, I stop in Starbucks (basic, I know) to pick up a coffee. Though this seems insignificant and takes just 20 minutes, this time has become an oasis for me. I live in a sorority house with 50 other girls at a school with 40,000 people; carving out 20 minutes of peace and quiet for myself lets me mentally adjust, physically move my body, and establish a sense of homeostasis before embarking on my day.
There is a glory in establishing routine, in ingraining a logical sequence to everyday life. Of course, surprises and trying new things are significant and often special, but having a daily ritual—even if it is as simple as a morning coffee—can instantly provide less apprehension of the unknown. As an innately unorganized and anxious person, I have learned that the basis for a productive day is waking up with the comfort of consistency. which, for me, is a morning walk with a coconut milk cappuccino with extra cinnamon on the side.
Image: Julia Bonnano
