There’s a sweet little lady who comes into my coffee shop several times a week to get her special “brew” — a smoothie made with ingredients she gives the baristas along with specific instructions about how much and what to add to her frozen peach beverage. The dear lady chats a bit then finds her favorite booth where she taps into our free Wi-Fi and makes some business calls. She sometimes takes a coffee drink for her “office time”, but always caps it off with her nutritious blend to go.

For many coffee shop customers like this one, it’s not all about the coffee. Just as sharing a meal around a common table is an act of “communion”, sipping a cup of brew in a cozy spot with a positive vibe and a good view holds an element of “self-care” that’s healthy for body and soul.

A couple of years ago, a contributor to the website Buzz Feed compiled this list of 13 different types of people you see in coffee shops:

1. The stressed out college student
2. The professional
3. The person with the super-complicated order that holds up the line
4. The barista who can’t spell anyone’s name right
5. The intern getting coffee for her boss
6. Moms escaping their kids
7. Moms who can’t escape their kids
8. The hipster
9. The would-be novelist
10. Jobless young adults who have nothing better to do
11. The cute couple who makes you want to vomit
12. The person who may be homeless, or may just be unkempt
13. The actual homeless guy

Another list I found added the true coffee-addict who says “just give me the coffee” then darts out the door or into a dark corner. Our small-town coffee shop probably misses out on a few of these just because of demographics, but I’ll admit to falling into more than one category at various times in my life.

The actual hot brewed coffee or pressed espresso is certainly the reason most people frequent a coffee shop — or maybe it’s the hot tea, frozen beverages, baked goodies or chocolate. Whatever the lure, there’s another important benefit beyond beverages or food.

Pausing for refreshment is like taking a deep breath and saying “I’m worth this. I need it and I deserve it.” Self-care is highly underrated in our crazy, get-ahead world. Stepping off the treadmill for a moment to sit across the table from a friend, read a book or even socialize in the cyber world while nursing a cup of Joe or a frozen smoothie isn’t a bad thing. In fact, people might be a lot happier if they built an occasional “coffee break” into their lives.

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I’m honored to be featured today at Ruby for Women with my blog on Elisabeth Elliot.