As of writing this article, I have gone 15+ days with no caffeine and my experience has shocked me.
In this article, I’ll explain a little bit about why I’m doing this, what the results have been so far, and how I’ve been setting myself up for success.
If you want to know why I’m going on this journey, check out the previous blog post, where I explained why caffeine may be doing more harm than good for me and for society as a whole.
Why I stopped drinking caffeine
I wrote an article about caffeine and how it affects our menstrual cycle after helping a friend lower her caffeine intake. See that video here. The things I learned in the research for the article made me curious about what my life would be like without caffeine. At the time I had caffeine probably 3 to 4 times a week. I didn’t think that I was dependent upon it, especially since I was able to operate for many days without consuming any caffeine. Boy was I wrong… but not in the way that I expected.
How I stopped drinking caffeine
The buffer week. My goal was to go the entire month of November without caffeine because I know that I am a creature of habit. I gave myself about a week to adjust before the month started. By the last three days of the week, I felt like I had found my groove.
Set my priorities. I knew that I was only going to be successful if I had a game plan. This included setting my priorities for the month. My three main focuses are going to be sleep, light exposure, and blood sugar. I set a regular bedtime for myself, made sure that I got natural sunlight in the morning, midday, and evening, as well as avoided blue light in the evening. I also planned meals for the month that would maintain my blood sugar and made a point to eat at regular intervals throughout the day. These may all seem simple, but I knew for me, if I was missing one of these blocks, I was going to fail. In addition, I made a point to avoid things that caused inflammation in my body and drug me down.
Finally, accountability. I told every single person that I spent regular time with that I was not drinking coffee and avoiding caffeine entirely. I also made it public on the way of social media to help keep me accountable.
What I’ve discovered
The hard part...
As I expected, the physical reactions have not been extreme because I did not consume caffeine daily. However, I discovered that I was far more emotionally dependent on caffeine than I realized. The first week was fairly easy. I felt proud of myself for setting myself up for the plan that I had made and had momentum behind me. However as I entered the second week, I discovered that I was very frustrated by my lack of caffeine consumption.
One day I realized that I felt actual anger about the fact that I couldn’t have coffee. Rather than brushing it off or giving in to my desire for caffeine, I sat with it for a few days. What I learned about myself was that I often overcommitted and over-scheduled my service to others. I love to be helpful and I love to take care of the people around me, but sometimes I need to say no. I realized that instead of saying no, I was consistently turning to coffee to allow me to exhibit superhuman levels of energy for other people's benefit. This is especially true for my period. During this phase, if I didn’t have the time to rest, I often turned to coffee to help push me through until I could take a break. I realized that my feelings of rage last week, which also happened to be my period week, was a symptom. I was finally able to hear my body's frustration with the tendency I have to push too hard and overgive.
The positive
Because I removed the caffeine crutch from my life I was brought face-to-face with reality. The reality is that my energy has limits and that I need to reserve some for myself and my goals. Instead of relying on caffeinate, I have had to take a hard look at my schedule. I have had to delete and delegate jobs that I feel I often do out of obligation.
I am also more consistent with health practices, such as going on walks because that is the best way for me to get in daylight. I’ve gotten more sleep because I am prioritizing rest. I not only feel well nourished, but I also have broadened my horizons regarding the drinks that I consume. I still go to the coffee shops, for work, or to meet up with friends but when I do I get hot chocolate or a golden milk latte. At home, I am making use of my tea collection along with bone broth, hot chocolate, and other delicious nutrient-dense drinks.
My digestion is better. I have come to terms with something I’ve known for a long time, which is coffee and my digestive system or not friends. I have always known this and yet I kept drinking coffee until now.
My physical symptoms of anxiety are down. I struggle with anxiety at times, and I also know that caffeine causes my anxiety to get worse but somehow I have convinced myself for years that it’s worth it, even if it does make my chest feel like it might explode. As I sit here with 15+ days caffeine free I realize how silly it is to put this substance in my body.
I’ve also been far more honest with myself, and with others regarding my energy levels, and what I can take on. And I’ve discovered that the people in my life are more resourceful than I give them credit for. In some cases my admitting that I need help in certain areas has caused my community bonds to be strengthened.
Am I gonna keep going?
For the rest of this month, I will keep up with this challenge. I am seeing so many benefits, both mentally physically, and emotionally. 15 days have gone by quicker than I thought it would and I’m already halfway there.
Will I start drinking coffee again when the month is over? I honestly don’t know. The obvious answer seems like it should be no I’m not bringing caffeine back into my life, but that is hard for me to say. I think sometimes caffeine is helpful. I also miss the flavor of my favorite coffee. It’s hard for me to say that I will never have coffee again because it is genuinely something that I enjoy. But when I list all the benefits of taking a break from coffee, it feels silly to say that I want it back. I still have about 14 days to think about this and make a plan but here’s what I know.
If and when I start drinking coffee again, I want to do it more mindfully. In a situation like traveling where I need to stay up to acclimate to the time zone. Coffee can be a great tool. When I ran a tough mudder this year, I felt like caffeine gave me a beneficial boost. When my family member had brain surgery and I needed to be up extremely early to be there for them, coffee was helpful. But the further I get from the last drop of caffeine that I consumed the more I realize that I am better off without it in my daily life.
Summary
I started this new caffeine experiment with some idea of how it was affecting me negatively but I was shocked at just how far-reaching my caffeine dependence was. I have seen the emotional, physical, and mental benefits of taking caffeine out of my life. I am halfway through my no-caffeine November, and I am so happy that I have gone on this journey. I don’t know if I will continue to keep caffeine completely out of my life, but when this is over, I will most certainly be more mindful of my consumption.
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