It feels like it's been longer, but it has only been a month since I gave up caffeine. I was doing great for a while, but the last couple of days the cravings have been particularly noticeable. There is something about a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter's day to warm your bones and set things right.
My body's like, "Okay, that was fun for a while, but now let's get back down to business and get the coffee circulating again, alright?" No, it is time to face the reality of a long-term adjustment.
I have to retrain myself how to manage stress and tiredness. I can't just reach for a cup of coffee to recharge. I have to use other means, such as taking a nap, exercising, or just allowing myself to be tired until my body naturally warms up. I honestly don't know what to do when I get tired! What do you non-caffeinated people do? I've used caffeine my entire adult life. I totally trained myself to reach for caffeine during those times, and it is those times again when the cravings are strongest.
For stress management, start biting your nails. That's what I do to stay awake when driving. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm not much help. I am not giving up caffeine. Dont admire your plight there.
Consume mass quantities of sugar. Yes, you may rot your teeth and acquire diabetes, but you'll be wide awake!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I've read that there are certain yoga poses that allegedly re-charge your body and mind without having to take a nap.
*shrug* Not that I've ever tried that technique...
Oh I'm sorry, I forgot to clarify: I want easy ways to have more energy!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Exercise is good for you. Yoga is good for you. :P If you want "easy," go back to your caffeine!
ReplyDeleteOh, I forgot to mention cigarettes. They are a pretty easy jolt of energy... ;) Um... but, oops, there goes that healthy factor again!
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Emergen-C or the cheaper Trader Joe's version? It seems to pep me up.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, I've been drinking Tension Tamer tea lately, and instead of knocking me out it makes me feel good. I noticed it has some B vitamins in it, probably good for those of us who are stressed out and have depleted ourselves... so in other words, a vitamin boost may be in order! I was thinking something in the B family, but I'll check out that Emergen-C thingy.
ReplyDeleteDo you let yourself drink decaf coffee at least? I mean, I enjoy the flavor of coffee... and the warm sensation of drinking it on a cold morning...
ReplyDeleteI would be an unfit mother without my morning coffee.
ReplyDeleteI like decaf, but it does contain some caffeine. Besides, I'm concerned about the way it is decaffeinated... I don't particularly trust the chemicals they use.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I guess there is a newer type of decaffeination called "Swiss" or "water" decaffeination which doesn't use chemicals?? I need to research more.
Life is too short to not give in to one or two vices. I had to give up smoking and fatty food--at least let me keep my caffeine and alcohol. And nail-biting too.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with vices is that I believe the have an impact on the quality of life. I believe that addictions prevent us from being emotionally available to those around us. It hampers the quality of relationships not to mention the quality of life for the individual, as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat good is an addiction if it causes you to burn our your esophagus due to acid reflux or burn out your liver? That just makes life shorter than it already is.
Well, right. That's why I gave up smoking. Who wants lung cancer or emphysema...? And my alcohol drinking isnt affecting my life negatively... definitely not an alcoholic...
ReplyDeleteI dont know what caffeine does. I am not sure it's that negative. I've heard studies saying that it *prevents* cancer. And I have to say that it does improve the quality of my life because I have chronic allergies. When I drink coffee, it clears my airways more effectively than any of the meds I take. In fact, I used to use coffee medicinally BEFORE I started taking my asthma and allergy meds... It certainly reduces my need to use rhinocort, which I'm not too comfortable about since it contains steriods (and so do my asthma inhalers).
I dont know. I just dont see coffee as all that potentially harmful. It's the LEAST harmful of all the stuff I'd choose to do anyway (smoking, alcohol). And psychologically, that first sip of coffee in the morning makes me *FEEL* good.
Sure, I could go without it... If I lived in a world that followed my sercadian rhythm (ie, up at 10am and in bed at 1am). But since I have a job that requires me to be here between 8 and 9 in the morning, something needs to make me feel good about the day.
And dont say exercise cuz I do that in the morning too and I still need coffee.
One might describe my cycling obsession as a vice, too... and it certainly does interfere with my relationships with people, particularly if you arent a cyclist (since I spend most of the summer doing that instead of hanging otu with non-cyclists).
ReplyDeleteCoffee definitely has benefits for people with asthma. It can often help you recover from an attack without having to use an inhaler, in some cases!
ReplyDeleteBut I am talking about the psychological and spiritual impacts of having a substance that "fills your needs" in life. The more you rely on substances the less you will be open and available for being in relationship with people rather than chemicals. I have noticed that this is true in my life.
I did have a nice, delicious cup of decaf this morning. Hope I didn't get too much caffeine in it, but it was lovely.
The best is to get those endorphins from seeing someone doing some exercise or even something like seeing someone smile at you. The best is to get the good feeling from sharing feelings with someone and not reaching for a cup to do that.
ReplyDeleteYou reach for a cup to get your high, you won't reach for a person. And the high won't be as good, it will be more superficial.
I'm not against some chemicals for helping people at various stages in life. Sometimes a good dose of caffeine or the relaxing benefits of alcohol can be very therapeautic... but when it starts to take the place of relationships in your life then it's not helping you.
And it is not good if you start to believe that your zest for life and your energy and creativity is coming from a chemical instead of YOU. People need to believe in themselves and not lose their identity to a chemical.
I often worried that caffeine was helping me write songs. Then after being off caffeine for a month I wrote something really nice, and I was actually more calm so that I could remember it better without having to have a tape recorder to catch it before it evaporated. What is special is within me and I don't need no stinkin' chemical!
Okay, I agree with you there. That's how I know I dont have a problem with alcohol--I dont really use it to replace anything. I just like the taste of a fine wine. And I found that with alcohol that I enjoy, such as wine, I tend to drink it slowly and enjoy, which means I end up just having a glass or two... whereas in the old days in college, I was just drinking to get sloshed and because it helped me interact with people (or so I thought!) better. But we all know that when Mars Girl gets too drunk she becomes Depressed Drunk Mars Girl. So I've stopped the behavior. Enjoying a good beer or wine, which means only drinking those that I like the taste of, makes me less of a gorger and reduces the amount I drink. For me, that is enough.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about chemicals. They shouldnt replace how you deal with your environment or people. I guess I dont see caffeine this way for me either. I tend to not drink coffee at all on mornings where I'm getting up to ride my bike or ski or something. If I dont drink it in the morning, then I skip it the rest of the day. Except I do drink at least one can of coke (coke zero, that is) per day so then I'm still getting caffeine. But, again, I like pop and have no desire to quit it. I think, though, that by allowing myself limited quantity and not overdoing it, reduces cravings that would cause me to binge... that's how I approach desserts now, too. I used to cut them otu completely, but then I'd eventually give into cravings, and then I'd go hog wild and eat an entire cake or something. If I let myself have a square of chocolate each day or a cookie or something, then I've just had ONE instead of FIFTY in one sitting.... That seems over all more healthy...
Yeah, the thing about alcohol is that it makes you think you are more successful socially speaking but it doesn't work that way.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who would always get a few drinks of alcohol in any social setting just to relax. He was just as shy as ever, but maybe he thought it was helping.
One day he wasn't able to drink and he came over and was completely social and he was very enjoyable to talk to and did very well making conversation with stranger. He was probably much more nervous, but he actually did much better in the end. I think people even commented about how fun he was to be around, and that was when he was sober.
A lot of people go to "parties" which is supposed to be a synonym for wild, social encounter but in reality you just see a bunch of people just sitting and starting blankly at the walls. The next day, they are like "dude, what a rockin' party that was!" but the only rocking must have been going on in their minds because they were sure boring as hell to hang out with.
But I have found that if you only drink alcohol occassionally then yeah, it can give you quite a rush to have some bombastic times, but usually people become boring drunks rather quick because they drink too regularly.
You've never been to any of my parties... mine ARE rockin. Just ask Diane. ;) And no one really drinks that much. I mean, it's there (no party of mine would be devoid of beer and wine) but we're all just sitting around, being socially responsible, and having a good time talking. =) I always throw a great party. But maybe I just pick the right PEOPLE.
ReplyDelete