It was easier than I’d ever imagined… but not permanent (duh).
Week 1-4 Notes:
- Switching from my 1-2 cups of coffee/day to just a cup of green tea or yerba mate in the morning was not nearly hard as anticipated… so much so that I reduced the weaning period to just 1 week.
- I discovered here that there is a supplement you can take to greatly reduce the effects of caffeine withdrawal. Phenylalanine is a simple and inexpensive amino acid supplement that can help. Here’s how:
- In short, chronic caffeine usage depletes the brain’s stores of tyrosine and phenylalanine, amino acids that aid in dopamine and adrenaline production. Supplementing with either can make recovery quicker and easier.
- Phenylalanine is likely more effective than tyrosine because tyrosine is synthesized from phenylalanine but not vice versa.
- Here’s the brand I used, just under $10 on Amazon Prime when I purchased.
- I started using this just after week 1, when I shifted from green tea to herbal tea (i.e. no caffeine) and I felt it helped make the transition smoother. To determine just how much it helped, I’d have to do this all again without the supplement, and I’m going to take a hard pass on that for now, thank you.
- The one thing I would change: I would have bought and started using Phenylalanine sooner, i.e. during the first weaning week. While the 1st couple days of the coffee-to-tea switch were not too bad—just a slight dragging—they might have been even better with the phenylalanine supplement.
- The 2nd key strategy I’d read about and used was changing my morning habit. Psychologists and behavior economists agree it’s easier to change a habit than to break it. This was my experience too. By switching 1st to green tea and then to herbal tea, I maintained my satisfyingly warm and aromatic morning indulgence, just with a fun new flavor profile:
- Naturally, I took this as an opportunity to sample the full Trader Joe’s herbal tea selection.
- My top pick: Yogi Ginger Tea. It smells and tastes warm and delicious, with ample ginger spice.
- As an added benefit—especially helpful when giving up coffee—it aids in digestion so, you know, it keeps other important daily habits on track too.
- Want something a little less gingery? Try TJ’s lively, fruity, and herbaceous Red Refresh tea or their Organic Detox Cleansing Blend, which is much tastier than it sounds.
- Much like with coffee, I’d occasionally spice it up with some cacao powder, cinnamon, or vanilla extract. Cacao is known to have similar mood-boosting properties to coffee, without all the caffeine. (Some cacao or cocoa powders have trace amounts of caffeine but not enough to really register.)
- Side note: I actually got a buzzcut during this 1st month… keeping it cool for the summer, okkurrr?
Week 5-8 Notes:
- I still occasionally get what feels like mid-afternoon narcolepsy but overall, I experience fewer peaks and valleys, with a more even-keeled, sustained energy. I also fine myself a little less nervous, less prone to getting “on edge.” So, the effect of caffeine is basically the opposite of the edge-softening effect of CBD oil. Maybe a combo of the two would work well…
- While I’m fortunate enough to be a good sleeper—till we have kids, at least—I undoubtedly fall asleep quickly more consistently than before this experiment. I bet it was the semi-regular afternoon cup and its half-life that was keeping me up at times.
- It can feel tough to not have the “safety net” of caffeine if I’ve stayed up a little too late or made a little too much progress on a good bottle o’ wine. Because of this though, I’ve been better about getting to bed on time and not drinking too much… except maybe during SF Pride, but that’s day-drinking, so we’re good, right?
- There’s something psychologically satisfying when you’ve had a productive day, morning, or even hour that was purely fueled by your own inherent focus and ambition, completely unaided by that magical brown elixir we’ve grown so fond of.
- On weekends, I wistfully glance at passersby clutching coffee concoctions and have a mixed reaction. On the one hand, I acknowledge that I’ve moved on from my daily Joe, like an amicable ex that’s just not part of my regular life anymore. On the other, part of me remembers how good it can be—it wasn’t that long ago that I was holding, smelling, and savoring its richness as it touched my lips. Between this and the fact that I’d been literally counting down the days left in month 2, I know this is just temporary… not the end for me and my sweet coffee.
Whoomp, there it is…
- TBD whether I go back to drinking it each morning or just when I “need” or want to enjoy it, i.e. as a productivity tool or a special treat but not a daily ritual.
- Does 2 months without caffeine sound crazy to you? It did to me before this experiment. The good news is you don’t need to give it up for 2 months to get over a caffeine addiction. You can reset your tolerance in about 9 days. You could do this within the span of a long vacation. Check the links below for more info.
Thanks for reading! Please leave me a comment with any feedback and/or what you think my next experiment should be:
- Sensory Deprivation Therapy (Float Tank) 1x/week
- Slow Carb Diet (from The 4-Hour Body)
- CrossFit 3x/week
- Daily Journaling
- Guided Breathwork
- Cryotherapy
- Your suggestion?
References:
https://medium.com/better-humans/how-to-quit-caffeine-in-one-week-e041892698ec