How Quitting Caffeine Has Benefitted My Daily Life

It's been two months and I've learned that quitting helps you win sometimes

    Caffeine is a major part of most people's daily routine. For some, it's a ritual before starting certain activities. In fact, I've met people who can barely function until those first few coffee drops make contact with their tongue. 

    Now, I'm not a scientist, nor do I have a clue which receptors are affected by caffeine and why, but I can tell you the differences it's made for me personally. And of course, a lot of these changes are similar to other addictions. So, if you've ever considered dropping caffeine, here are some things you might notice happening to yourself. 

    (Before I begin, I need to mention that I consumed less and less until I reached zero. This wasn't a cold-turkey situation. So when I write about having a more focused mind and better sleep, take note that if you do quit cold-turkey, you'll likely have adverse side effects such as irritation, possible mood swings, and trouble with focus. Just a heads up!)

Calmness Without the Storm

    When I drank 200-300 mg of caffeine each day, I relied on that boost. I anticipated the boost, craved it, and until I felt it kicking in, I was annoyed. Because I was drinking so much, I needed to consume the caffeine early in the day, usually right after waking up. 

    However, sometimes you run out. I'm sure you have as well. Maybe you just forgot to buy coffee or tea the last time you were at the store. Like you, I forgot every now and then. When this happened, I would normally be in a crabby mood with no inkling for conversations, long or short. 

    While I was never anti-social, I've since noticed more of a willingness to seek out conversations with others. This could be from having more energy, which I'll get to later, but I also believe that in eliminating caffeine, I gained a more calm demeanor. As you know, caffeine is a stimulant, and stimulants can conjure energy surges like few other consumables can. And in high doses, the surges hit hard!

A More Focused Mindset

    In truth, caffeine, like any other stimulant, has the tendency of boosting focus levels. It's exactly why people who need caffeine before sitting down to work rely on consuming it when they do. But in addition to the calmness I wrote about above, this new focus seems a lot more natural. 

    In my opinion, and again, I'm not a scientist, focus derived from stimulants is a bit artificial. I'm sure it works the same your brain does, but since it's an external source, it's not the most natural way to boost your focus. Since quitting caffeine, I've been able to drift into flow state far more often, which is basically just a deep level of focus, but a state which most people love to be in. Including me. 

    There are other ways to improve your focus and gain a more calm demeanor. Exercise is a great way to improve both, as are activities such as painting, drawing, and writing. If an activity activates your mind, you're on the right track. 

Sleep and Energy

    When I was younger, I relied on sleeping supplements to fall asleep. Staying asleep wasn't ever much of a problem, but drifting off into dreamland was always a challenge. To combat the lack of energy the following morning, I chugged caffeine to help pull my eyes apart and light a fire under my backside. 

    Over time, however, I realized that I should consider what was keeping me up in the first place. At first, I came to the conclusion that I was watching screens, mostly movies, too close to bedtime. So I decided to switch to reading books. This helped for a while, but eventually I realized there was something else working against me. 

    As you may have guessed, drinking caffeine late in the day was preventing me from catching those beautiful zzz's. Once I straight up quit, my ability to fall asleep improved even more. (As stated above, quitting cold-turkey would likely cause the opposite effects. So keep that in mind.)

    In addition, my energy levels have much been much higher. As my brain is no longer reliant on caffeine for an energy boost, my energy levels have seemed more consistent. I don't wake up feeling tired as often, I don't have crashes a few hours later, and I don't become fatigued until it's getting close to bedtime. This alone has helped immensely with activities like writing. 

In Short...

    Quitting caffeine has helped me become more calm, more energized, and more focused. This article isn't here as advocacy against caffeine. If that's your thing, then by all means! I'm just sharing my own experiences in quitting, and how it's personally affected/benefitted me. 

    And again, I'm not a scientist, nor am I an expert on addiction. If you're more interested in that side of things, there are tons of amazing scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists in the world who are way more educated on the subject. Hearing me try to discuss the how's and why's would probably leave you more confused than anything. 

    But if you end up deciding to quit, I hope your experiences mirror my own. You'll be a very happy camper if they do!