INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, BODH GAYA

Project
On
CAFFEINE AND MINDFULNESS

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mr Shishir Arya 1.Avi Jain
(Mindfulness Instructor) 2.Anupam Tripathi
3.Prasanna Hendve
Group-4
Batch-IPM 02
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We want to thank Mr Shishir Arya (Mindfulness Instructor) of the Indian

Institute of Management, Bodh Gaya, for assigning the project on Caffeine
and Mindfulness and for playing a significant role in mentoring the
project. This project would have been unsuccessful without your efforts.
We would also like to thank our friends for their support.

Avi Jain
Anupam Tripathi
Prasanna Hendve
Group-4
Batch: IPM 02
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sno. Topics

1 What is Caffeine?

2 Impact of Caffeine on the Brain

3 What is Mindfulness?

4 Impact of Mindfulness Practices on the Brain

5 Do Caffeine and Mindfulness practices complement each

other?

6 References
 WHAT IS CAFFEINE?

1. Caffeine is a stimulant which increases activity in the brain and nervous system.

2. It increases the circulation of chemicals such as adrenaline.

3. The Food and Drug Administration(FDA) suggests a maximum intake of 400

milligrams(mg) of caffeine per day.

IMPACT OF CAFFEINE ON THE BRAIN

The body releases a chemical called adenosine, which accumulates in our brain
whenever a person is active. The accumulation of adenosine is directly proportional
to the activeness. The concentration of adenosine steadily declines when the person
sleeps at night.

When a person consumes caffeine, it competes for adenosine receptors in the brain.

It does not allow adenosine to accumulate in the brain. So, the brain cannot signal to
the body, making the person tired.

The problem is that the brain requires more adenosine to signal to the body that it is
tired. Therefore, it increases the number of receptors to collect more adenosine. To
counteract this effect, we tend to consume more coffee to stay awake, and when we
try to quit coffee, we get several symptoms like headaches, nausea, tiredness and
mood swings.

It affects the dopamine levels in the brain, making a person happy and feel charged.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

1. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present without ruminating about past events,
anticipating success or panicking about failure.

2. It is the tendency to acknowledge and accept one's feelings and bodily sensations
calmly.

3. It is also the ability to become aware of what the person is doing rather than
mindlessly operating on default mode.

IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS PRACTICES ON THE HUMAN BRAIN

Practising mindfulness thickens the grey matter in the Prefrontal Cortex (one of the
most evolved parts of the human brain, predominantly engaged in executive
functions like decision-making, problem-solving, reasoning and controlling emotions),
thus enhancing the efficiency of the Prefrontal Cortex.

Default Mode Network (DMN), another region of the brain, becomes highly active
when one keeps jumping from one thought to another ("monkey mind"), generally
eliciting unhappiness and dullness. Evidence from scientific studies shows that
Mindfulness meditation reduces the activity in the Default Mode Network, thus
mitigating anxiety by decreasing mind wandering.

The Hippocampus – an area of the human brain involved in learning and memory –
becomes thicker after practicing mindfulness, thus enhancing the capacity of one's
memory and making it last longer.

Scientific studies suggest that Mindfulness practices decrease the size of the
Amygdala – an area of the human brain associated with "fight or flight" responses –
thus, reducing anxiety and stress.

CAN CAFFEINE AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES COMPLEMENT EACH

OTHER?

Both Caffeine and Mindfulness practices have been around for quite some time.
However, it was in the recent past that meditation hit the jackpot, and caffeine almost
succeeded in thoroughly domesticating human beings. Caffeine has the opposite
effect on concentration and alertness than meditation. Caffeine keeps one going like
someone is after them by stimulating their brain and setting off their fight or flight
response. Caffeine in excess can lead to irritability, tension, and even anxiety.
However, Mindfulness practices decrease one's brain activity making them
experience a sense of tranquillity.

Caffeine and Mindfulness practices perform intrinsically different functions:

 While caffeine heats one's nervous system, Mindfulness Practices cool it

down
 While caffeine can cause panic attacks, Mindfulness Practices remedy them

It is sometimes challenging to resist the billion-dollar caffeine industry that constantly

bombards us with attractive commercials. Practising mindfulness or meditation is like
fighting a lost battle if caffeine intake exceeds what the body can handle (around
1000mg). The solution to this problem lies in not quitting caffeine altogether but in
regulating its intake to derive maximum benefit from Mindful meditation practices.
 REFERENCES

1.https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/caffeine

2.https://jagjotsingh.com/how-does-caffeine-impact-mindfulness-meditation/

3.https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/caffeine.html#:~:text=Caffeine%20(pronounced%3A
%20ka%2DFEEN,the%2Dcounter%20medicines%20and%20supplements.