I didn’t start doing coffee chats for my mental health. I just wanted to talk to cool people. What started as a few “let’s grab a quick virtual coffee” messages turned into over 60 chats — and proof that the internet can still surprise you in the best ways.
I’m an introvert who lives on the internet, which is a dangerous combo. But every time I showed up to another chat, I loosened up. Somewhere between the fifteenth and twentieth chat, I realized I wasn’t an introvert on camera anymore. I was just… me.
Coffee chats didn’t just help me network. They brought me out of my shell. They gave me people who felt like home. Some of those conversations turned into real collaborations and friendships I never would’ve found otherwise.
The Real Benefits of Coffee Chats (That Have Nothing to Do With Networking)
They make you feel seen
When someone says, “Oh my god, I’ve felt that too,” it hits deeper than any like or comment ever could. Every call reminded me that the stuff I thought was “just me” wasn’t. Imposter syndrome, burnout, creative blocks — everyone’s fighting something.
They build confidence
At first, I thought I’d sound awkward or talk too much (spoiler: I did). But every time someone laughed or said they related, I loosened up. Now, I can hop on a call with anyone. Confidence comes from practice, not perfection.
They spark creativity
Talking to other marketers, creators, and founders fired up my brain in a way scrolling never could. I started jotting down ideas mid-call. Conversations create energy — energy creates ideas.
They build real friendships
Some of my favorite people started as random coffee chats. Now we text, brainstorm, roast each other, and hype each other up when we’re in the trenches. I never thought “LinkedIn friends” would become actual friends, but they did.
Coffee Chats as a Mental Health Reset
When you work online, your brain never really clocks out. Coffee chats snapped me out of that. Every call pulled me back into reality. It reminded me that behind every post is an actual person. I started seeing people instead of audiences.
It’s wild how much better my mental health feels after something as simple as a thirty-minute conversation. Prior to March I had been in a dark place mentally. Once I started posting on LinkedIn and then meeting people through coffee chats, my mental health changed drastically for the better. I didn’t feel like the “only one” anymore.
How to Get Started
Create a free Calendly link, set a few time slots each week, and start putting yourself out there. Drop the link in a post, add it to your bio, or simply DM someone you admire and say, “Hey, want to grab a quick coffee chat?” It’s that simple.
And if you’d like to yap with me sometime, just use my Calendly link here.
Keep Reading
More on building your LinkedIn presence and protecting your mental health online:
- A Yapper’s Guide to Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn
- 7 LinkedIn Growth Tips That Don’t Require Going Viral
- How My LinkedIn Personal Brand Prepared Me for Getting Fired
- The Mental Toll of Social Media & How to Navigate It
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