Celebrating the coffee break

I have always been a firm believer in the importance of coffee breaks, and not just because I have a caffeine habit to maintain. For me, coffee is a twice-daily ritual – a moment to step back from my work and take stock.

In my former department, there were many who dismissed coffee breaks as a waste of time – people who thought that taking a moment out of the lab meant a lack of dedication to research. But, from the very beginning of my time in the lab to now, years after leaving, I have found these pauses from work one of the most productive uses of my time.

The first group coffee breaks I went to as a master’s student were actually a little intimidating. Fresh from the undergraduate teaching labs with virtually no practical or research experience, I found myself surrounded by knowledgeable, confident people who could perform and analyse rafts of reactions each day as I slowly fumbled my way through one. But, sitting quietly at the far end of the table and listening to the discussions of other group members, I began to pick up the little bits and pieces of knowledge that make lab work quicker and easier – the kind of advice and information that you’d never find in a paper or a departmental handbook!

Soon I knew which person to approach for a particular problem, which Büchi to use to dry my sample quickest, and which group to ask if I needed to borrow a tiny bit of that really expensive reagent.

These informal gatherings continued to be a vital source of information as I began my PhD in a new group. The exciting independence of managing my own project meant I was now addressing many research challenges alone, without the help of an in-lab supervisor. Coffee time was an excellent source of support while I was finding my feet with my new project: I could casually quiz the more-experienced members about unfamiliar techniques or annoying practical problems without disturbing them from their own work, simultaneously sparing my supervisor the bother of a thousand trivial questions.

There are so many quirky tricks, especially in organic chemistry, which I would never have learnt if not for these relaxed group discussions over coffee. A tin residue in your Stille coupling? Try dissolving your compound in acetonitrile and washing with pentane. Unstable halide decomposing before you can use it? Stick a bit of radical inhibitor in your sample to preserve it. Streaky TLC? Add a drop of triethylamine. That half-hour seemingly spent relaxing saved hours of frustration in the lab. Far from time wasted, I was storing up knowledge to become a better practical chemist.

As a group we shared our chemistry problems in these moments. Everyone knew everyone else’s projects and more than once, a suggestion over coffee led to an important breakthrough.

Usually on returning after, the problem didn’t seem nearly so insurmountable

As I progressed through my PhD I became the person answering more questions than I asked and it felt good to share what had been shared with me. Eventually I reached the position of lab mum and it became my responsibility to look after the day-to-day running of the lab. The complaints about this bit of equipment or that person leaving a mess (muttered to no one in particular as we sat down for coffee) were an excellent indicator of the issues requiring my attention. Simple problems could often be fixed there and then, and bigger jobs quickly referred to the correct department member. Without a doubt, this time out of the lab made everything in the lab run more smoothly.

But, of all the benefits of stopping for a coffee, I think the most valuable is the break itself. There was something so refreshing about the mental space it provided – of taking a moment away from whatever problem I was battling with, whether that was to bemoan the shortcomings of chemistry to my friends or to just ignore it completely for half an hour. Usually on returning after, the problem didn’t seem nearly so insurmountable. I came back motivated, clearer-minded, and possibly with a new spark of inspiration, the break fuelling a surge in productivity.

I left the lab permanently in 2021 and in the years since, my coffee break has remained an important ritual. My job as a science writer is a far cry from lab-based research but occasionally I still come up against the same kind of mental block. Sometimes the words just won’t come, and that’s the moment to take a step back, have a coffee, and let my mind wander.

So returning to my computer now, I find that the words are there waiting for me. What a productive coffee break!