Giving up caffeine is a game changer

[Penitent]

I have periodically given up caffeine out of concern for some of it's downsides. Went 1.5 years completely caffeine free at one point, and it was liberating. These days I take coffee daily because, although there are downsides there is also an upside to caffeine. Just make sure to use moderation.

 

[stugatz]

Looking back on my earlier posts - I kicked the habit mid-December, and didn't have one cup from then until late January. After that, I began relapsing by occasionally having a Red Bull or a cup of coffee if I was out with someone for breakfast after church. That slowly turned into a coffee or a soda or a Red Bull every three days or so.

I've since notice some small caffeine withdrawal symptoms coming back, so I decided to give up caffeine a second time for Lent, as a supplemental sacrifice (I'm mainly giving up political talk radio and YouTube).

Overall - I love coffee from a culinary standpoint, a lot. (I'm Italian and we need our espresso.) I don't want it to be a crutch, though, and I'll probably eventually settle on some kind of middle ground between zero caffeine and six cups a day.

I'll probably look into getting into tea - if I'm camping out at a coffee shop to read or do some work, I usually get a chai anyway.

 

[Thoughtcrime]

Great thread. Fits well with the alcohol one.
Myself, I've cut down dramatically on my caffeine intake. It became even easier to do so when I cut out alcohol, as well.
I simply start my day with a single cup of coffee and that's it. It's a great start to the day. Makes me feel "wired", but does not result in a major crash.

I don't think I would want to cut out coffee out of my life, entirely. It's a small vice and it probably has more upsides than downsides at this point.

EDIT: just remembered something I hadn't thought about for a long time - cafes. They've been shut down for so long now! But when they re-open, won't it be awesome to visit them once in a while? Especially when traveling! Take your laptop there, check up on emails, while sipping a nice brew and eating a pastry.

 

[Blade Runner]

Coffee in the morning, tea later if needed. I don't like the idea (as I've said) of being dependent on anything but caffeine is a major task enhancer and can get you through periods of doldrums. I think we all have these in the modern day sadly, with the screens, stress, jobs, and tech that make life so different than in the past - the cold weather and lack of sun for a lot of us contribute to this as well.

 

[Thoughtcrime]

Looking back on my earlier posts - I kicked the habit mid-December, and didn't have one cup from then until late January. After that, I began relapsing by occasionally having a Red Bull or a cup of coffee if I was out with someone for breakfast after church. That slowly turned into a coffee or a soda or a Red Bull every three days or so.

....

I'll probably look into getting into tea - if I'm camping out at a coffee shop to read or do some work, I usually get a chai anyway.

I think energy drinks are to be avoided. They have a ton of garbage that you probably shouldn't put in your body. If you're Italian, embrace your heritage and proudly sip on that fine brewed beverage, but skip out on the synthetic nonsense.

Regarding tea, I highly recommend getting into that. The best part is that you can drink herbal teas in the evening and that helps you avoid drinking both alcohol and caffeinated beverages. For a long while, I only drank green tea (which contains caffeine and similar compounds) in lieu of coffee, but now I've started to prefer that single cup of coffee in the morning, instead.

 

[r3d]

I will begin the challenge in a couple of days and I'm looking for alternatives in the morning. Something that maybe stimulates the brain a little without having caffeine.

So far I'm thinking peppermint tea with ginger slices and sage leafs.

I have a really hard time in the morning, so anything that you may have heard of could help. Even if it's just for the placebo effect.

 

[Papist]

I used to drink a lot of coffee, but then I began to suffer palpitations and panic attacks. Eventually I realised it might be the caffeine, so I cut it out completely, and voila, no more palpitations or panic attacks. Nowadays I will occasionally have some very dark chocolate, but if I eat too much I have trouble sleeping, and can also feel a bit jittery. Caffeine is a drug, and I don't think prople appreciate how potent it is.

 

[Qivar]

Some can easily abstain from it, others rely on it too much.

Personally I was never an avid drinker though I'm recently getting into it.

Presumably, 1-3 cups of coffee can contribute to longevity.

 

[Mortay]

I will begin the challenge in a couple of days and I'm looking for alternatives in the morning. Something that maybe stimulates the brain a little without having caffeine.

Bone broth is a great alternative.

 

[r3d]

I'm trying it now. First day and I have a pretty unusual strong headache.

But I'm going by the logic that if it affects me this much to go without, it should be worth it to kick it. So I'm encouraged by the pain, really. Thanks @OP for making the thread and reminding me that coffee is indeed a drug.

 

[Paleblood Knight]

In the last 13 years I've been drinking coffee, I've only had 5 caffeine free days. The headaches are real and whilst I was able to tolerate the pain, my tolerance and dependency levels are high (3-4 cups per day)

It's one of my lesser evils/addictions. I have another one that I've yet to 'manage'. Looking at some of the positives of giving up caffeine here is making me think about my own consistent habit!

 

[Pandemix]

I've been abstaining from coffee since the beginning of March and felt like a zombie more than I thought I would. Getting sick in Mexico probably contributed a lot to that feeling, but I definitely felt a mental difference without caffeine in general.

Over the last few months I've considerably dropped the amount of caffeine I drink down to 1 cup a day anyways, with today being my first cup and I've felt great.

The China Virus hitting was the harbinger to breaking my addiction of going to coffee shops so frequently and drinking their strong drinks. Even when I tried to go back, the hostile environment the generally leftist coffee shops have created with their virtue signaling and weird seating rules killed the whole experience for me. I definitely feel better not drinking those strong lattes near daily and glad I got a chance to break away for a while to see how much better I feel without *that* much caffeine.

Now I near exclusively make my own, far less stronger coffee at home and actually really enjoy the process.

 

[Knight.of.Logos]

I decided to switch from coffee to tea for the next month or two. I've been under a lot of situational stress and it's caused me anxiety and coffee seems to make it worse. Green tea, black tea, or hot chocolate never seemed to have such effects, despite having some caffeine. I don't think it's necessarily caffeine that is bad, but the amount that people consume. Either way, I'll report back in a few months and let you all know how it goes. I am also considering doing 1 or 2 days a week off of caffeine completely.

 

[Watchman72]

I have been a heavy coffee drinker for several decades now and when I brew my potion I always take care to make it really strong.
A few days ago I got tired of drinking coffee, so I decided to live a few days without it, and discovered that I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. I didn't miss it at all.
Maybe my body is just weird...

 

[r3d]

So here is my experience after 3 weeks:

Headaches lasted for a little more than a week and I found it impossible to wake up before noon. I also got sick which is very uncommon for me.

But I slowly got my sleep rhythm back on track and now I'm really really happy to be a lot more calm and focused throughout the day. I barely have any slumps after meals or early in the evening.

Massive achievement in my books. The temptation to go back was huuge when I still didn't function at 100% after two weeks. Glad I stuck it out. Though I must say without this lockdown I never could've made it.

While working my regular job it would've been just impossible. And I never would've sacrificed a precious holiday just to feel miserable on my couch for two weeks. So something good could be found in the bad after all.

 

[Mikeyd03]

I had some caffeine mints today and have never really experienced caffeine like I did today. I don't drink coffee or alcohol, but am a pretty light guy (160lbs).

I felt:

>Focused.
>Calm.
>Positive.
>Non-procrastinating

Are the risks off caffeine more so with the crash and the withdrawal? I don't plan to consume caffeine regularly, but I truly felt like a different person. Thoughts?

 

[jonNorth]

I had some caffeine mints today and have never really experienced caffeine like I did today. I don't drink coffee or alcohol, but am a pretty light guy (160lbs).

I felt:

>Focused.
>Calm.
>Positive.
>Non-procrastinating

Are the risks off caffeine more so with the crash and the withdrawal? I don't plan to consume caffeine regularly, but I truly felt like a different person. Thoughts?

These benefits are the reason why people pick up a coffee habit.
So if you don't want to become hooked (like me), you might want to tread carefully

Those benefits will fade over time to the point where you need caffeine just function normally

 

[Eusebius]

My caffeine tolerance gradually went down to the point where I wasn't tolerating my daily 2 cups of coffee, but I didn't realize it. I thought the anxiety - severe at times - was just me. Jittery doesn't describe it. I had severe negative thoughts and felt like bad things were always going to happen to me, almost like demonic oppression. It was the coffee. Take your coffee habit seriously!

As a substitute, I've discovered yerba mate which tastes similar to green tea and has lower caffeine.

 

[kel]

I have no interest in caffeine, but I do love a creamy cup of coffee or ten.

 

[Mikeyd03]

These benefits are the reason why people pick up a coffee habit.
So if you don't want to become hooked (like me), you might want to tread carefully

Those benefits will fade over time to the point where you need caffeine just function normally

Thank you for the response. I will tread very lightly.

I have had trouble with addiction (pornography) and am not looking to pick up another one. Does Yerba mate have similar effect on your focus on mental clarity?

That is what I cannot get over is the metal clarity. If I could replicate that in a healthy way.....I’d do it in a heartbeat.