I’ve been toying with the idea of cutting back on my coffee intake. Not, mind you, giving it up altogether. I’m not quite ready to abandon the yummy elixir that (jump) starts my morning.
Know that I don’t have an opinion about the shoulds or shouldn’ts of coffee drinking. Not a value judgment thing or claim about healthiness. I just started to sense that my afternoon jolt of espresso was maybe not my happiest habit. What started as an occasional treat became a jitterrific crutch.
I started picking up some clues from my wound up nervous system, which feels kind of shot. And my sleep has been all wonky. And those frantic internet check-y-loo urges? Quite possibly connected.
I think the desire to cut back stems from a growing sense of consciousness about what my body feels like. Not to be confused with self-consciousness about what my body looks like. (How I spent the better part of my adult life.) No, this awareness is much different. As in, not rooted in loathing.
I’m becoming much more aware of the sensations and tension in my body. Suddenly I’ll notice that my shoulders are hunched up around my ears. Or that I’m sitting on the edge of my seat with my stomach clenched. Or that my jaw is clamped shut and I’m holding my breath. Pleasant, no?
So I take a deep breath and try to soften a bit. And these clues feel like a gentle tap on the shoulder: Hey, you might want to investigate what’s going on for you right now. Maybe my body has a valid reason for rejecting whatever is happening in the moment, even if my brain is totally clueless.
So maybe as part of that new awareness, I’m noticing how the effects of copious iced espressos fuel feel in my body. And, the caffeine drip just might have something to do with all of the hunching, clenching, clamping.
Another thing that tipped me off to the issue… I was feeling slightly defensive, and even a touch defiant, upon hearing about someone else giving up coffee. Okay, well maybe coffee is a problem for them, but I love it and I’m not giving it up. And besides, I think I’m handling it just FINE.
I don’t know about you, but declaring just how fine I’m handling something is usually a good indication that things are actually far from fine. Plus, fine is kind of a sucky aspiration.
So this desire sprung up pretty spontaneously, organically. Not out of some overall healthification, detoxification, Betterment of Briana Plan. Just a small hunch that grew into a decision.
And this is not a done deal. Right now I’m looking around for some implement to prop my eyelids open. But I’m experimenting, trying to be curious. Noticing what comes up for me in the process.
This habit grew for a reason. After all, I like the taste. I enjoy the afternoon break. I dig the coffee shop vibe. So what’s coming up for me is a bucket of resistance. More on that tea party next time.
I’m not sure there’s a a right or wrong decision about coffee drinking that will serve me forever. But this is what feels right to me right now. Well, not right now right now. But you know what I mean.
Wanna talk about it?
People seem to have some pretty intense opinions about this stuff. And I would love to hear your thoughts and experience. Again, this isn’t about right or wrong. Because people vary, and all that.
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I don’t like coffee. Or tea, really. For myself, I do avoid caffeinated beverages in general because my sister used to get seriously bad headaches when she’d miss a coffee or Diet Coke fix and I don’t ever want to get to that point myself.
But I LOVE the coffee shop vibe. Which means that I drink more coffee than I would really want to because I love to hang out there. Thank goodness for hot chocolate. Or my other thing – which is to get a medium or large drink with a single shot of decaf and whole milk and/or other stuff so that the coffee taste is diluted as much as possible. I guess I could order a water, but somehow the coffee-like drink is part of the whole experience. Maybe that can be something to experiment with.
I love coffee, and tea. And I’ve unconsciously programmed myself to do my best journal writing and general creative thinking in coffee shops. So – I’m in a similar place to you I think. I notice the cravings, but interestingly my body seems to know when it *really* wants a caffeine hit, and when I am just in the mental habit.
I enjoy a cup of coffee/tea at 9am, 11am and 3pm. I usually have an extra cup at 7am and 1pm and 6pm. Those extra cups would be a great place to start for me…
I don’t really get anything from them.
Having said all that, I don’t feel jittery or awake in the evening very often. Perhaps my bike-ride commute balances it out… exhaustion trumps caffeine!
Hi! I’ve noticed that a lot of people are dropping the coffee habit, or working on it, lately. Years ago, I gave it up because I started getting headaches and developed cystic problems with my breasts. Number one initiator of boob cysts and discomformt? Caffiene! (#2? Chocolate.) So out the door it went. Problem cleared up. Plus…I’m a natural wall bouncer; I really don’t need the boost. I need something more along the lines of liquid valium like chamomile tea. But not a tea fan. It’s one of those NO YOU CAN’T MAKE ME! inner child responses.
Just lately, because I’ve been feeling a bit winty dumpy, I started International brand coffee. Vienna is my favorite. Man, does that have a kick! Yummy. Totally. Hyperactive? Way! And guess what, the afore mentioned problems returned, with all the symptoms you’ve mentioned too. So out it goes AGAIN.
I’ve been searching for years for something to replace it. No luck so far. The decafs just don’t taste good. Postum and most of the grain beverages are like drinking mud. If you, or anyone else, find one that props the eyes open AND tastes good, I want to hear about it, please!
Good luck on you quest to hyper-drive down.
Oh, Briana! I gave up the caffeine-buzz about 5 years ago. I was hooked and didn’t want to be hooked anymore…
And I was propping my eyelids open for oh, about a month. Silver lining: I slept like a rock
I don’t miss my reliance on the caffeine, but I couldn’t let go of my love for americanos topped with that beautiful crema. (Plus, did I mention my husband has the title of a coffee master? He earned it after hours of training at Starbucks corporate, where he works.) He brings home freshly roasted shiny beans every week!
Now, I get organic, shade-grown decaf americanos a few days a week, and I love that I get to choose them rather then the other way around
It’s hard to find good decaf, but I know all the Seattle-spots that can pull good organic decaf shots.
I pop rhodiola rosea (herbal adaptogen) occasionally for a nice mind-clearing non-habit forming pick-me-up!
keep us posted on your noticing…
xoxox
@Elizabeth ~ Oh that irresistibly cozy vibe, I should have known you’d be right there with me on that… definitely trying to drum up ways to experiment there.
@Mike ~ I am exactly the same – inadvertently programmed myself to be gloriously creative and productive, only while in a coffee shop. So that is taking some adjustment, still playing with things there. And I say if you feel good now, no need to change things up at all.
@Wulfie ~ Oh man, I’ve heard about the cystic stuff from friends… yuck, I am sorry about that. And you will be the first to know if I find a yummy, happifying replacement. I’ve been meaning to try teeccino, but guessing it’s not one of your faves. I haven’t been much for decaf either, which takes me to…
@Lauren ~ Americanos are my thing, too… sigh for crema. I’ll have to do more scouting for quality decaf… that would give me such a treat – the flavor, the coffeeshop vibe, the whole deal. And you, my dear, are the quintessence of naturally bounding energy.