How To Beat Your Need For Coffee
Whether for a temporary detox or to beat a full-blown addiction, this is for you.
I love coffee, and I hate taking breaks from it.
I roll my eyes when Jack tells me all the benefits. Every time I try to take a break, I remember the feeling of getting ready in the morning and getting my coffee. That first sip feels like crack.
But I heard about this barista who had the gnarliest withdrawals, and I thought a break might not be so bad.
Jenny Tomic (My Girl <3)
I’ve never really been addicted to coffee until lately.
This past year, I started a new job and began drinking it daily. Also, my girlfriend is a caffeine fiend and it sent me over the edge.
So I had to figure out how to get off the juice.
I’ve found 10 ways that worked for me and might be worth a try for you.
10 Ways to Get Off Coffee
Get More Sleep
I don’t crave coffee when I sleep well. And when I avoid coffee late in the day, I sleep better.
So, the first step for me to get off coffee was to optimize my sleep, the second step was to stop drinking coffee after 2:00 pm. If I do, I lay awake staring at the ceiling.
How I optimize my sleep
- I go to bed from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.
- I turn off all LED lights after sunset. (Use red light or incandescent)
- I Set the bedroom to 63°F
- No tech an hour before bed. I read or talk to my girlfriend.
- I take GABA+L-Theanine (Kion Sleep) 45 minutes before bed and I’m out cold!
- I turn off my Wi-Fi router at night.
Take Naps
Whenever I feel a slump in energy or crave coffee, I take a nap. About 20 minutes later, I wake up with no more cravings and feel energized.
Every minute counts during a detox.
The best time to nap is between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM when we've experienced a natural dip in our energy levels.
I keep naps short—no longer than 20 minutes.
This avoids the grogginess.
Same routine, different drink.
When I quit drinking coffee, I missed the routine the most.
I missed going to my local coffee shop, where I would rip a raw butter espresso shot, mix lo-fi bangers, and pound the keys.
But if I’m not drinking coffee I don't do the routine. And I miss it.
But I learned a cool method.
Keep the routine, and change the drink.
I do the same routine but instead of coffee, I drink a smoothie.
The smoothie gives me a nice little boost, and I still enjoy my time at the shop. Yeah, it's a little depressing not having my morning espresso, but it feels much better than not going at all.
I also enjoy fresh-squeezed juice with berries and ginger. Chaga tea is also a great alternative. It helps to stabilize the body and gives a nice boost :)
Somehow it works.
Eat some berries!
Fatigue is common when you get off the juice.
This is because our bodies release stress hormones when we drink coffee, and we don't get that same feeling when we are off it.
Eating berries such as strawberries and blueberries can provide an energizing boost, and they’re healthy for you.
So when I would usually drink coffee at 8 a.m., now I'll just rip some berries instead.
Works like magic.
Exercise
Aerobic exercise, like walking or tennis, always takes my mind off coffee.
It also gives me energy when I don't feel like doing anything.
After 20-40 minutes of exercise, my mind is clear and I forget about coffee.
Especially in the sunshine, grounded shirt off, boom. Who needs coffee after that?
I got that photo-biomodulation brah!
Cold Plunge
My girlfriend says she will storm out of the coffee shop and break down the door if I give her a cold drink of water.
Silly you! I’m talking about a cold plunge!!!
Nothing makes me more refreshed and pumped up.
It delivers the same feelings as coffee. It releases neurotransmitters like adrenaline and dopamine, so it's a nice hack when craving it.
Once you dive into the cold plunge, you forget about everything and simply try to survive for five minutes. After that, you forget what coffee is.
I started with two minutes but now I go up to five.
Breathwork
Breathwork helps me shut up my mind and control my coffee urges.
I don’t crave it after ramming oxygen into my lungs for 15 minutes.
Try out this breathwork routine in the morning and see how it makes you feel. It helped me get off coffee and reclaim my mind.
Organic Chocolate
Anytime I had feelings of a headache or cravings I would eat a piece of organic dark chocolate.
It has similar properties to coffee, providing similar feelings of dopamine and serotonin.
So, I rip out a piece of organic chocolate whenever I crave coffee.
Final Thoughts
I've quit and restarted my coffee habit many times. Sometimes, my breaks were easy, and other times, I wanted to scream.
In retrospect, I have never regretted a break in my life. You don’t have to wait to hear a barista's withdrawal symptoms to consider a break.
Enjoy coffee and recognize when it's time to chill out.
It will always be there for you when you're ready :)
Supplements to support caffeine detox:
Kion sleep for better sleep (Discount code: koolhealth)
Non-caffeinated nootropics (Discount code: koolhealth)
This is timely as planning to stop caffeine too. I do most of these things like exercise, cold showers, eat berries anyway, but the dark chocolate is interesting. Does that not have lots of caffeine in though?
BAHAHAHAH this is so silly love it so much