With ever-increasing amounts of coffee and “energy” drinks containing caffeine being consumed, it might be important to know why this stimulant works. Everyone who uses caffeine experiences a “lift” that seems to energize them to perform their functions more efficiently. They are absolutely right! Caffeine, the chemical in these beverages that produces the effect, causes increased activity in the frontal lobe of the brain where short term memory resides and also in the anterior cingulum part of the brain, which controls the concentration and attention span. This increased activity means you are more able to focus, you have more attention and your task management is better.