Today I have gone without coffee for 30 days.
It’s been an interesting experiment.
I started drinking coffee at a pretty late age, probably around 22 or 23.
Since then I’ve consumed three cups or more every day.
Lately I’ve become more interested in my own personal energy. And being hooked on coffee is a bit like the curve above. 
So I wanted to see how getting rid of the coffee would affect my energy, mood and effectiveness.
I know that some get off coffee by slowly decreasing the amount of coffee they consume each week and perhaps by replacing it with tea or non-caffeinated alternatives.
I took another approach.
30 days ago I came down with a bad cold and pretty much knew that I would spend a few days in bed doing nothing more than reading and watching some TV.
I also knew that going without coffee would make me very sleepy.
So I combined the two things. I stopped drinking coffee and then I was sleeping a lot the next few days.
This made it easier to get through the most unpleasant days of sneezing and having a fever. And since I wasn’t doing anything special anyway it was OK to feel drowsy and sleep a lot.
Towards the end of that week my cold had decreased in power and so had my sleepiness.
Since then it’s been no problem to not drink coffee and I have experienced some positive benefits. The big one is that my ability to focus has improved. That has affected my life in a few ways:
- It has become easier to focus just on the task in front of me and shut out the rest of the distractions.
- I’m less prone to procrastination. I didn’t really notice it while I was drinking coffee but my mind seemed to wander off in all kinds of ways a lot of the time. Now it’s easier to single-task and focus on one thing and I don’t feel the same need to check email or other distracting stuff.
- I’m calmer. I’m a calm person to begin with but getting off coffee calmed and slowed my brain down. So I feel more relaxed more of the time. And it’s easier to think with clarity.
Getting of coffee has been a positive experience for me. It’s actually had more of a positive effect than I would have expected. I thought I would feel a little less stressed overall but it has made a significant dent in my ability to focus and concentrate. I also used to feel tired after a meal and used coffee immediately after the meal to boost my energy levels. Now I have a much more even energy-curve throughout the day.
So I’ll continue to stay coffee free and perhaps sprinkle in a cup of green tea or two once in while. I would recommend trying to go coffee free for 30 days and see how it affects your mind, body and life.
One way is do it like I did and go cold-turkey (perhaps the next time you’re ill or during some vacation days over the holidays). Another way is the one where you slowly decrease the amount of coffee you consume each week. And perhaps replace some of the coffee with less caffeinated teas or a couple of cups of decaf. If you get bad withdrawal symptoms then the second method may be the most useful one.
Image by emdot.
If you like this article, please bookmark it in del.icio.us. Thanks a lot! =)
| |
| Subscribe If you found this article helpful, subscribe for free to my RSS feed or sign up for free updates by entering your email below: |
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
I went cold turkey and gave up coffee for lent one year. I never missed or yearned for it but when lent was over I started up again. I only have one cup in the morning. I´m thinking of getting off it again to see how it affects my mood and energy.
I supervised a Tim Hortons for a yar (this is what I blame for my coffee addiction) I was drinking 8 Extra larges a day, ended up with massive anxiety attacks but could always sleep/ My doctor suggested I cut out as much coffee as possible and for a while I did. then i got this desk job… nothing like a never ending cup of coffee while you are workign away. Then I had a really bad flu about 3 weeks ago, and did not eat or drink much at all except tea.
After recovery I tried to drink coffee but it was not good tasted so bitter and the smell of it rewing(which used to smell soo dang good to me) was nauseating, so I have stopped tryingto drink it. Now I loves me some tea and am not into even the smell of coffee.
I have notives;
Calmness, better attention span, more energy (I used to nap in the afternoons when I wasnt working or after work when I was working), weightloss, I don’t snack on junk all day nor do I want to and I generally am just trying to be healthy
When I was younger, in my 20’s and 30’s and drank 4 or 5 cups a day. I liked the lift I got and it seemed to make my mind sharper and definitely helped me feel more alert. I tend to be sleepy by nature and the coffee helped.
Now I’m in my 40’s and I was suffering from torpidness and fuzzy-head in the mornings and just couldn’t drag myself out of bed unless I got at least 8 hours of sleep. I’ve also been put on medication for hypertension. I found myself being easily distracted and unable to slow down and focus on details.
One day about a month ago I decided not to drink coffee. The torpidness has disappeared completely and it’s so much easier to get out of bed in the mornings, even with less sleep than before. I fall asleep more easily and don’t wake up during the night with my head racing. My blood pressure has lowered some and I find I can still concentrate without the caffeine.
I’ll say that caffeine used in moderation is a great cognitive stimulant, but used to excess its detrimental and has quite the opposite affect.
If there is one thing that I know for sure,is that everything we hold dear would be felt and the life most people know would vanish and the life that was meant to be, would appear and we would all be in love if all of us were sober. Caffeine is pushing us all around and I think it’s time we take our lives back from this pesticide. Caffeine is just another one of the drugs that future generations will have to memorize on some test that polluted their people and to marvel at how much farther they have come then there past peoples. Well at least I hope they’ll have the chance. Oh ya the power I feel is even stronger felt as I am surrounded by those addicted to it. At this moment I could thank them for the high,but I would rather listen and give them inspiration. For all of you that want to quit, it’s time and you’re not alone and any pain you feel you will overcome and become the person you’ve always dreamed of. I promise..
I’m trying to quit coffee right now because I’m sick of what it’s doing to my teeth (and oh yeah, my doctor’s been begging me to).
For me, the ritual of drinking coffee is a huge part of the compulsion, so what I’ve done is quit coffee completely, but take caffeine pills in the morning and replace the coffee with an herbal tea so I can still enjoy the ritual.
For two days I took Vivarin – 200 mg of caffeine. On days 3 and 4 (today), I’ve cut those pills in half. After maybe a week of this, I’m going to quarter them. And hopefully after a week or two of that, I can get rid of them completely. It’s kind of like nicorette for coffee – kill the ritual, taper off the drug.
Anyone else try this? I’m hoping it works because I want better health, better focus, whiter teeth and more money in my pocket, but I don’t want those cold turkey headaches!
“Today I have gone without coffee for 30 days.”
That must have been a very long day.
Otherwise, I am about to try kicking the habit starting tomorrow morning, good think I am mildly under the weather, so I can stay in bed…
Thanks for sharing though!
swift….. stop drinking coffee
For a long time I had quit coffee until I returned back to college.. urrrrggh! Now it’s time for me to quit again and so far I have been able to for a week now, but it’s hard.
The last time I quit, I was drinking three triple shot espresso drinks a day. I was the biggest b##ch ever, extremely irritable, never had a nice solid #2, was taking #2 at least 5x a day, always had terrible stomach pain, and was a walking wreck. Before I quit, I would even get pre-symptoms just thinking of drinking coffee. My mouth would get very dry , the stomach pains would start, and the feeling of a liquid #2 would come on. My family and I were vacationing in NY city. One day I just felt so horrible that I quit right then and there. For the next two weeks I was like a junk yard dog just snapping at people. After about 4 weeks things began to get better. I felt happier, less irritable, able to take a solid #2, healthier, and just like me again!
Quitting this time is definitely harder. My body and mind don’t feel as horrible as the last time I quit, and I was only drink 1-3 cups a day of regular coffee or just one espresso drink. Plus, I became so dependent on caffeine for school.
But it’s the summer time right now which is the best time to quit! I am not taking any classes, it’s too hot for coffee, I don’t need anything comforting to manage the cold, I feel the need to drink a lot more water, and I can keep a lot more busy.
The only way I’ve been able to quit is cold turkey!!! Trying decaf, reducing espresso in a latter, switching to decaf free herbal teas, and anything else never helped.
There are ways to help you quit cold turkey. Pick a week well in advance that you know you have less obligations and will be able to handle the withdrawal. Throw out any coffee, chocolate, and sodas and make sure the trash is long gone otherwise you’ll be tempted to dig through it. Make it your goal to pee clear every two hours or even every hour. Carry water bottles where ever you go. Feel free to add a hint of sugar for taste if you don’t like the plain taste. Keep active with walking, going outside, stretching, and other activities not associated with caffeine. Move your body at least every hour even if you only have a minute. LEAVE YOUR WALLET BEHIND!!! This will prevent you from buying any coffee or junk since you don’t have the money with you. If you have to buy something, make sure you bring the exact amount. This also helps in not buying other random things. Read inspirational things everyday like this blog! Write a big sign for you self that says NO! Tell your self outloud NO if you feel you’re about to go for a cup.
Well good luck!
Today is the day, I go cold-turkey. My focus and concentration are not good and I know coffee and caffeine pills are the problem. My mind does not rest and constantly waunders. Back in 1995, I enlisted in the Air Force and did my four years. I also became addicted to caffeine pills and more and more coffee. Now for almost 15 years, I have averaged at leasr 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day as well as at least 2 pills a day. I turn 40 on my next birthday and I want to be coffee and pill free.
I am willing to go through any and all withdrawals and make this happen. Good luck to everybody else who is going through this.
Wow “I don’t feel the same need to check email”, I didn’t expect to find someone else with this habit! haha
Green Tea has caffeine about 40 mg. a cup. It comes from the same plant as regular tea.
I’m so glad I found this…I am on my fourth day of no coffee. I came down with strep throat on Tuesday night and haven’t wanted coffee since then…and frankly I’ve had suspicions that I needed to free myself of this drug. I decided to use this “opportunity” to quit coffee. I totally didn’t think of the water. I’m going to drink some now. Thank you everybody and good luck!
I didnt know that people had a problem qutting coffe.lol.Such a dramatic situation for a mild drug like coffe.Come on people you are not fighting against heroin,nicotine or Mdma its just “fresh Coffe”.
Thank your every body. Amazing web site. Just by reading every body’s views I got motivated enough to stop drinking coffee. It has been a month. I am very, very happy man.
The benefits I felt are :
1. Good night sleep.
2. Less wastage of time /money
3. It has become easier to focus
4. I am a milder / calmer person
5. Teeth are no more going yellow
6. Breath not stinking any more
One thing I recommend to every coffee drinker is try to cope with out and see the difference and what is the worst that can happen. You can always go back.
All the best to every body, please keep writing
← Previous Comments