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.
Henrik Edberg is the creator of the Positivity Blog and has written weekly articles here since 2006. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Gothenburg and has been featured on Lifehacker, HuffPost and Paulo Coelho’s blog.
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I know I need to quit. I drink coffee all day long. Around noon I run out of gas and start feeling depressed. When I get home I lay around and don’t want to do anything. Just finishing my first cup now and am starting to feel better.
Ive been caffeine free for a month and a half, since discovering I am pregnant. I wanted to point out though, that this article is mostly about caffeine and shouldnt generalize coffee as a bad thing. Coffee actually has the most antioxidants of any food or beverage out there. Coffee has more good qualities than bad when it comes to your body, however switching to decaf may be the right decision. Since quitting caffeine (I typically drank 2-3 bottles of Diet soda each day), Ive felt sluggish, also this could be the pregnancy, since that makes you tired also in the first trimester. Keep in mind, Im also not drinking alcohol so that has something to do with my new feelings. The plus side is that my skin looks amazing, The blemishes under the skin arent there, and it seems to glow, my eyes arent puffy, and I feel good to not be dependant on anything. I also feel that I can concentrate better and my temper doesnt get flared as easily. Im calmer than usual. Although, I do miss caffeine, Ive found that substituting a carbonated water has curbed the appetite for it. After the baby is born, I will continue to live caffeine free, with an occassional slip up.
my dear,
it’s not that easy to me to live coffee free, specially its raste, i am not leaving , please let me know good and bad effects of coffee, and howmuch is toomuch ?
and i would like to know howmuch milk acceptable for adults ?
Day 17, Coffee/Caffeine Free…. I am STILL more tired than usual. Fuzzy headed, I zone out at times, stare into space, almost depressed. BUT…the good news is that it is getting better!! I feel different, mellow, sleeping great, recalling dreams, heart has more or less stopped skipping beats, and for some reason, my appetite has increased. Caffeine is an addictive drug. When you quit, you will notice withdrawal symptoms. We need to utilize our own energy, not an artificial high. Caffeine just dumbs us down. I am soooo glad I quit. Good luck to everyone!!
I quit drinking coffee 6 weeks ago, cold turkey , when I began the process of converting to Mormonism. I had been drinking coffee (2-3 c per day) since I was 12…. I am now 46.
The first week was hard….depression, fatigue, headaches. But I switched the fruit-flavored herbal teas to satisfy my craving for hot liquids and the desire to have something in a mug to hold onto while wtching the morning news.
I feel so much better since I am caffeine free. I am camer, I have less anxiety, I am sleeping better. My teeth are getting whiter. I am less crabby and my breathing and heart rate has slower down. I wish I would have quit decades ago!
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’ve always somehow believed that deep down, but never truly made the attempt to quit altogether. Thank you for giving me the much needed push.
Every day I use to struggle with justiying something that truly felt bad to do. Any time anybody would make a negative comment about it I would have to justify it, deep down I knew they were right and that made me feel weak. I was stronger then that and I wanted to live without it. I stopped using it as a crutch whenever I got nervous or scared to do something that required me to sweat a liitle bit. I got so much stronger without it and finally found myself. You have alway’s been and will alway’s be as strong as you need to be to be free of this. Your welcome…. and good for you!!!
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!
I have found an excellent alternative for coffee. Teeccino. Try it. It tastes a little like coffee but it is not. Different flavors.. Very good and you can make it just like you make coffee. It has been a great replacement. I notice that it does not stain my teeth like coffee did.
Good Luck!
“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.