Why you Should Quit Caffeine in 2022 (A How to Guide)
Before I even say a single thing in this article, I need to say that I LOVE coffee. However, there is a fine line between enjoying caffeine responsibly and being reliant on it, and in the throws of a caffeine addiction.
It’s estimated around 75% of people who regularly consume coffee are caffeine addicted.
Let’s have a look at some of the signs of caffeine addiction, the benefits of eliminating or reducing caffeine, as well as some tips for doing so.
Can you go without?
The biggest factor in caffeine addiction is dependency. If you are not able to function properly without your morning joe, or rely on it to be able to make it through your tasks for the day, you may want to consider adjusting your relationship with coffee.
Withdrawal symptoms from caffeine include: headache, fatigue, depression and irritability and even flu like symptoms.
Benefits of Reducing Coffee Intake
Better Sleep- Reducing or removing caffeine helps re-establish your body’s natural rhythms, which may help improve sleep quality. Especially if you’re an afternoon coffee drinker.
Reduce Anxiety- Caffeine increases your body’s stress response, which leads to higher cortisol production (stress hormone). This can leave you feeling much more stressed and anxious than if you’d skipped the coffee.
More Energy in the Long Run- Caffeine can be a large factor in causing inflammation in the body, which leads to fatigue and low energy. This can lead into a cycle of increasing caffeine consumption to combat the fatigue, which crashes you even more.
Better Mineral Absorption- Caffeine can inhibit absorption of key minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper, so cutting coffee can help your body utilize these important minerals.
Cutting Caffeine with Ease
Your (relatively pain free) how to guide to caffeine free, or reduced living.
Tip #1 - Reduce Gradually
This is the best way to avoid intense withdrawal symptoms. If you’re drinking 5 cups of coffee a day, bring it down to 4, and so on over a period of 2-3 weeks.
Tip #2 - Plan Downtime If Going Caffeine Free
If you’re planning to go to ZERO caffeine, it’s best to do it when you have some free time. Trying to do it in your daily grind and remain productive can be difficult. Setting aside a few days where you have minimal responsibilities and can nap where needed and get used to your body’s underlying rhythms makes a huge difference.
Tip #3 - Replace the Ritual
Feel into what it is you enjoy most about the coffee ritual- is it the taste, the quiet time, the warmth, and find something else to satisfy that need. Maybe it’s a different kind of hot drink, such as herbal tea, mushroom coffee, or maybe it's time spent in meditation.
Tip #4 - Restore Your Energy
Caffeine is often used as a crutch for poor health habits. Work on restoring the habits that create high levels of natural energy such as getting plenty of sleep, eating good food, being well hydrated, and a daily movement practice.
Tip #5 - Make it About Pleasure, Not Productivity
Reframing coffee as a treat, rather than a productivity tool goes a long way in cultivating a healthy relationship with it.
Happy 2022!