Giving up coffee has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. And that includes giving up smoking.
As a writer, there are few things more regular – certainly not pay cheques – than coffee. It makes the world go round. After giving up cigarettes, coffee had become perhaps my only reward system: finish this paragraph, and the kettle is going on.
But coffee – or, rather, caffeine – can make one jittery. It can affect one’s sleep. Coffee – caffeine – messes a little with your waterworks, and does other things that doctors and nutritionists may want to talk with you about… over coffee.
In any case, there are lots of reasons for wanting to give up coffee – not least the wish to no longer be beholden to the drug, or stimulant, that is caffeine.
Or, just to see if you can.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to give up coffee, there’s one thing I can tell you about the experience: it isn’t easy!
What you’ll need to be prepared for is a little irritability, particularly in the morning, and, if you, like me, were are a major strong real coffee drinker (I once blew a fuse on a writing stint because my study’s coffee machine broke – thanks to overuse!), you’ll probably get headaches.
I’m talking about powerful headaches.
Get some ibuprofen and some paracetamol before you sip your final cup.
Caffeine apparently causes some constriction in the tiny blood vessels in your body – including the many tiny vessels in your brain. Giving it up causes the reverse effect. Quickly. Ouch. (This might be the other way around – I’m a writer, not a doctor, and there’s little additional research going into this blog post!)
Anyway, the headaches should subside after a week or so. Get through them, and try to replace coffee with something healthier, like water, and exercise. The endorphins produced by a bout of rigorous exercise – even walking quickly – are equivalent, and healthier, than coffee.
It might also help, if you are a major league coffee drinker, to schedule a reduction of your intake before going “cold turkey”. I gave up coffee after running out, which was perhaps not the most sensible choice.
The benefits of giving up coffee?
For me, better sleep, more energy (!), and, probably, some extra cash. I can walk past those chain and independent coffee shops, too, knowing that I wouldn’t have to go in, but missing the free wi-fi nonetheless.
Have you given up coffee? Tried and failed? Leave a comment below.
