Digital Coffee Kindness - How Sending A Virtual Coffee Can Strengthen Relationships

Quick Answer 

Connecting over a cup of coffee is nothing new, folks have been doing this for decades. However, the Digital Age has seemingly reinvented this concept, providing more and more ways to share coffee with friends, family, and loved ones. From sending coffee e-gifts to shipping java to loved ones, catching up over a coffee call, and more, today we’re looking at digital coffee kindness, including how sending coffee virtually can strengthen the bonds we have with others. 

Key Takeaways 

• 4 Ways To Send A Virtual Coffee - looking at various ways to send or share a cup of coffee with those we care about, including: 
  
  
  
  • Apps & E-Gifts
    
  • Delivery Apps
    
  • You Can Ship It
    
  • Coffee Calls
    


• 4 Ways Digital Coffee Kindness Strengthens Relationships - exploring the ways sending coffee virtually can strengthen the bonds we have with others
  
  
  
  • Sips, Surprises, & Spontaneity
    
  • Thoughtfulness
    
  • The Gift Of Being Present
    
  • The Art Of Slowing Down

Typically, technology isn’t always viewed as a medium through which we can slow down, be present, and connect with others. 

I mean, honestly, that sounds like something we use coffee for, right? 

Sure, things like social media and phone usage make connection from afar, or amidst busy seasons of life, possible. But, this same medium is also commonly at the root of disconnection when present with others. 

You’ve likely experienced this in some way. 

I mean, it’s why many make a “no phones at the dinner table” rule, ensuring nothing digital gets in the way of connecting and sharing kindness with family and friends. 

But, what if coffee, that seemingly universal medium of connection, in combination with technology, could actually increase thoughtfulness in a relationship, promote gratitude, and provide a means through which you could even be focused and fully present with loved ones from afar?

Hmmm, perhaps better stated…what relationship strengthening qualities might we find at the intersection of coffee and technology? 

And really, this is what virtual coffee or digital acts of (coffee) kindness are all about. So, that’s where we’d like to shift our focus today, looking at ways to virtually connect over coffee or send coffee to those we care about as well as how these acts can strengthen our cherished relationships.

4 Ways To Send A Virtual Coffee

We’re living in the Digital Age, and oftentimes this highlights the wide availability of information at our fingertips, but have we now also reached the point where this aspect of technology enhances connection as well…even over a cup of coffee? 

Busy schedules and distance can often bring difficulties when desiring to connect with friends and loved ones over a simple, yet delicious cup of coffee, and this is where the Digital Age can shine. 

Yes, we’re talking about online kindness that comes in a mug. 

Okay, there’s actually a little more to it than that, but technology has indeed aided in our efforts to strengthen relationships through the gift of a simple cup (or two). 

How? 

Let’s find out…

1- Apps & E-Gifts

Many chain coffeehouses, such as Starbucks and Dunkin’, offer in-app or online options to send digital gift cards to friends/loved ones (1, 2). 

Of course, other coffee chains and even local cafes may offer this as well, and these are a great way to let someone know you’re thinking of them. 

Most often, these options work by sending either an email or a text with your selected gift card, allowing you to customize the amount, commonly including the option for a personal note to send along with the e-gift card. 

Unlike a physical gift card, an e-gift card can be sent in an instant and often opened by the recipient immediately, if desired. 

Of course, no matter when your friend or loved one is able to open this digital gift, it not only brings warmth to their day at that moment, but they’ll recall your thoughtfulness when using the gift card as well. 

Then, other than coffee chains or even local cafes, you can also send a touch of digital coffee kindness with a gift card for packaged coffee. 

We offer this convenience on our site, and while this doesn’t put a single cup of cafe coffee in someone’s hand, it actually serves your friend(s) or loved one(s) in a greater way, allowing them to remember your kindness with each and every decadent cup they brew. 

For instance, while we can’t speak for other companies in this regard, purchasing a Lifeboost digital gift card for a friend/loved one allows the recipient to choose a selection personally, something they’ve been wanting to try or a favorite they look forward to sipping daily. 

No matter whether you’re sending a cup (or bag) through a cafe app or company site, those sips serve a beautiful purpose, letting someone know you care. 

2- Delivery Apps

Remember those days when just about the only consumable item being delivered to your doorstep was a pizza you ordered from a local pizzeria? 
Those days seem completely foreign now, right? 

Yep, pretty much anything you want to be delivered nowadays can be on your doorstep in a matter of minutes (or days, depending), and that includes a cup of coffee. 

From DoorDash to Grubhub, Uber Eats, and more, these services have made it easy to deliver a smile to friends and loved ones in the form of their favorite cafe cup (3). 

Know your bestie is having a rough day? 

Send his/her favorite brew to enjoy from the comforts of home, knowing you’re thinking of them with each sip. 

3- You Can Ship It

In the 80s, when a problem came along, we’d just whip it. 

And today, in the Digital Age, problem or no problem, you can always ship it. 

Okay, enough with the cheesy song lyric associations, now for the coffee…

Have a favorite Lifeboost classic roast such as our beloved medium roast? 

Try a flavored selection, like our Creme Brulee Coffee, and know after a single sip that your bestie would absolutely love it? 

You can also skip the gift cards, order a bag of coffee (or two), and have it shipped to someone you love. 

Getting coffee in the mail that you’ve ordered is exciting as-is but getting a surprise coffee package from a friend…that’s next level! 

For flavored coffee lovers, we even have a seasonal sips club subscription that delivers 6 bags of seasonally-fitting flavored coffee selections each season - spring, summer, fall, holiday, and winter! 

I don’t know about you, but I’m with cousin Eddy on this one - “that’s the gift that keeps on giving…the whole year!”

Of course, I’d take coffee over jelly any month of the year, and when it’s given as a thoughtful gift from someone I care about, well, that’s pretty special if you ask me. 

And, if this is a bit too much of a commitment for a friend gift, we also offer curated coffee gift boxes in one, three, or six bag bundles which include coffee, biscotti, a copper coffee scoop, and a Lifeboost affirmations mug and chalk pen together in one package. 

Whew, that’s a wide range of coffee gifting and shipping options! 

No need to be overwhelmed though, our point is simply this - no matter how you choose to bless a friend or loved one, carefully selecting a bag (or more) of coffee online and having it shipped to someone you care about communicates a special kindness they’ll be reminded of with each and every sip. 

4- Coffee Calls

While digital gift cards, delivery apps, and packages of coffee shipped to loved ones and friends are great, sometimes you really need and want that face-to-face aspect of enjoying a cup with the people you care about. 

And, coffee calls are a wonderful way to get that face-to-face joy from afar. 

Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more all provide video call types of services where you can connect with family members and friends separated by distance (4). 

The visual element in each of these services allows each party to prepare a cup of coffee, meet over a coffee call - even from miles away - and share life, laughter, and love one sip at a time. 

Shannon, our wonderfully intelligent and incredibly kind Head of Content Innovation here at Lifeboost has shared that her family often spends time together over a coffee call on Sundays, using these moments to slow down, have coffee together, catch up, and reconnect. 

While distance often separates many of our most cherished relationships, coffee finds a way to keep us connected through this special element of digital kindness. 

4 Ways Digital Coffee Kindness Strengthens Relationships

Now that we’ve covered how to send a virtual coffee to friends or loved ones, let’s look at a few ways that such acts of kindness can serve to strengthen relationships. 

1- Sips, Surprises, & Spontaneity

Busy schedules and distance often create separation in relationships, where even casual occasions to “hang out and grab a coffee” can become non-existent, and this creates a need…yes, a need. 

Humans need connection (5), and coffee seems to be a near-universal medium for casual connection (6), even when enjoyed apart or from afar. 

Let’s see how…

• Sending coffee virtually serves as a pleasant surprise, even a random act of kindness. This type of spontaneity, the surprise of an unexpected cafe gift card or coffee shipment, not only communicates care and kindness in the moment, it also allows the recipient to relive this thoughtfulness when enjoying your gift of a cup of joe. 
• Inviting a friend or loved one from afar to join you on a coffee call not only communicates value in your relationship (“I care about you, and I want to spend time with you as best as possible.”), it also provides a real means of connection. Basically, with a coffee call, each home becomes a cafe and each heart is uplifted as you casually catch up and connect. 
• Coffee is often seen as a universal means of casual connection as this cup has a unique way of bringing people together, specifically causing folks to slow down as they sip. And, when we slow down, when we take time to share with others (over something like a virtual coffee call), we’re inviting conversation, seeking to share, and commonly communicating warmth, each of which foster deeper connection in relationships (7). 

2- Thoughtfulness

Thoughtfulness is an invaluable sentiment, one which communicates care and positivity, fosters connection, makes someone feel seen, and serves as a means for uplifting others (8). 

When it comes to digital kindness…or digital coffee kindness as I like to call it…these virtual expressions of care, in my opinion, take thoughtfulness to new levels. 

I’ve mentioned this throughout the above section, but sending a virtual gift card or a coffee gift in the mail involves much thought and care, and the recipient is not only reminded of your thoughtfulness upon opening such a gift, but they get to experience your kindness all over again when using the e-gift or sipping a brew prepared from a package you’ve sent. 

Sure, making a plan to meet in-person for a cup is a wonderful way to connect, but virtual coffee seems to include a greater element of thoughtfulness, a message within this gesture that reaches to the heart of how grateful you are for your friend/loved one, a message that only serves to grow the bonds you share. 

3- The Gift Of Being Present

Okay, so we’ve been highlighting the connecting benefits of technology through sending virtual coffee, but in the same breath, the topic of technology also stirs a sad reminder that digital access can also cause our attention to be divided (9). 

You likely know the scene - friends/loved ones are gathered in-person for coffee, but most are glued to their phones, neglecting the faces in front of them?

This is becoming increasingly common today, and it can be especially frustrating when your entire purpose for meeting is to connect. 

This is where a virtual coffee call can actually serve the opposite purpose. I mean, you’re using a screen to see someone face-to-face…from afar. 

And, in such a setting, you’re far more likely to remain locked in, fully present and focused on shared conversation, using this opportunity to do as coffee intended…provide a warm backdrop for getting to know one another better, sharing life amidst sips. 

So, what seems like a computerized cafe chat could actually serve as mindfulness, a time when you’re fully in the moment, focused on the present, your attention solely on one another, listening, laughing, communicating, even loving…each of which serves to strengthen your friendships/relationships (10). 

4- The Art Of Slowing Down

Whether you’re having coffee with friends from afar via a virtual coffee chat or enjoying a cup that’s been gifted to you, the enjoyment of said cup(s) invites you to slow down. 

I mean, that’s commonly what coffee does, right? 

It gives us an occasion to pause, to reflect, to simply enjoy a few moments of peace. 
But, when you’re sipping a thoughtfully gifted cup or sharing a brew over Zoom, those moments of pause can shift your focus to those you care about…specifically the one who cared enough to share a cup of kindness or those you’re staring at via your phone screen…and in these slow moments as you sip, your heart is likely to be warmed in sincere gratitude for their thoughtful gift and/or presence. 

These occasions to slow down, the gift of pause, the enjoyment of each decadent sip of coffee, it’s in these moments that your relationship with the giver is strengthened. 

Some studies have shown that experiential gifts strengthen bonds between the giver and recipient more than material gifts (11), and here, I believe a gifted cup of coffee or moments to enjoy a cup together from afar serves as such a gift. 

Even the gratitude you feel for the giver acts as an added boost to strengthen your relationship (12), your bonds further built through your gratefulness for your relationship and each gifted cup.

FAQ

1- For remote coffee chats or video calls, should you send a virtual coffee prior to the call? 

Generally, you wouldn’t need to do this for a video chat. 

Think of it as a casual, in-home way to connect with a friend or loved one over your normal, routine, daily cup of joe. 

The idea is to have a low-pressure, informal hang out, a friendly addition to your typical morning (or whatever time of day you choose) cup where you can each sip from your favorite mug while sharing life and thoughtfulness from afar. 

2- Why would Lifeboost Coffee make a nice gift for a health conscious friend/loved one? 

Lifeboost is a coffee company, yes, but one of our focal points in bringing you a tasty cup actually involves health, potentially making Lifeboost a great option for a health-conscious friend or loved one. 

• Lifeboost sources the top 2% of coffee in the world from small farms.
  
• Lifeboost Coffee is USDA certified organic. 
  
• We never use chemicals in our growing process and all of our coffee is third party tested for mold, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and 400+ other toxins. 
  
• Lifeboost Coffee is low acid. 
  
• Our coffee is shade and elevation grown, so as the plants slowly grow to maturity in such climates, this allows for optimal nutrient absorption.
  
• Lifeboost flavored coffee selections are only flavored with essential oils and natural baking extracts. We never use chemicals like propylene glycol in this process. 
  
• We even consider the health of our customers when removing the caffeine from our coffee for our decaf selections, here incorporating the Swiss Water method which avoids the use of chemicals in the decaffeinating process. 

3- What if I’d like to send something other than coffee as a gift to a coffee-loving friend?

If you’re looking to send something special to a coffee loving friend or family member, we actually have an article on our blog that you can check out…it’s a gift giving guide for coffee lovers.

It does have a holiday spin to it, but these ideas are obviously great year round. 

And, in keeping with our digital theme, you may also wish to check out the ebooks we offer. 

As digital downloads, these would be easy to send to a loved one, and each book is filled with lots of yummy coffee recipes, covering everything from coffee cocktails to foam toppers, espresso based recipes, coffee ice cubes, and more.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, make health or medical claims, or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Charles Livingston nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program. Additionally, the way coffee is grown, low acid coffee, decaf coffee, as well as different roast types (light, medium, dark, etc.) can alter caffeine levels. If you have questions about the caffeine levels or pH levels of our coffee, please reach out to our team for clarification. If you have any concerns with how our coffee, or any product will affect you or your health, consult with a health professional directly. For more information on our testing methodology or other quality standards you can reference our full disclosure page here.

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