You wake up and the first thing that you think about is coffee. You can't function until you've had those few first sips. Once you finish that cup, you are suddenly ready to take on the day. You can't make it through your day without it. AND if you don't have it, you feel panicked.
If you can relate to any of the above, then you have a caffeine addiction.
I used to hate coffee. The taste was not appealing and the jitters that it gave me weren't pleasant, so I didn't drink it. Before drinking coffee, I would drink of a cup of tea or take a nap when I needed an extra energy boost.
But things changed when I started working 12 hour days. I needed that extra caffeination to make it through those long work hours so I started drinking coffee and it quickly became a part of my morning routine.
Fast forward to a few months later and I mentally could not do my job without having coffee. I knew this was becoming an issue so I decided to make a change.
I tried quitting cold turkey, but that failed quickly. I got a massive headache, felt dizzy, was in a terrible mood, and couldn't provide my clients with the quality of service they were used to. I needed to figure out a way to break the coffee addiction.. and after much trial and error I did it!
Here's what worked for me:
1) Start drinking tea. Or in my case, start drinking tea again. Some teas still have caffeine in them, but not as much as coffee. So as you're weaning yourself off of coffee, tea helps give you that caffeine fix without the jitters.
2) Then, switch over to decaf tea. Trick yourself into thinking that you are getting a caffeine fix and eventually you won't need it!
If you are having trouble with the switch, try peppermint tea . My intuitive healer, Janine, suggested boiling fresh peppermint leaves to curb the caffeine cravings. I couldn't find peppermint leaves so I used peppermint tea and it seemed to work! Peppermint helps with nausea and dizziness so it helped relieve my withdrawal symptoms.
3) B12. I take 1 B12 tablet each morning. For the first 4 weeks that I stopped drinking coffee I doubled the dosage. This seemed to help my energy levels because B12 helps convert your food sources into energy.
4) Consume magnesium before bed. Whether it's a supplement or a food high in magnesium, you'll find this helpful. One of the many benefits of magnesium is that it causes your muscles to relax, which will lead you to a better night's sleep, therefore providing you with more energy during the day so you won't need the coffee!
5) Focus on eating foods that are alive such as fruits and vegetables. Foods such as fruits and veggies that are easily and quickly digested will provide your body with the energy it needs to get you through your day so opt for these instead of processed foods. Processed and packaged foods are hard on your digestive system so instead of using the food you eat for fuel, your body will be using its energy to digest what you've eaten.
6) Download an app to help you. One of my clients suggested the app Habit Builder. While I didn't need it because the above tricks worked, she found it really motivating and it helped her stop drinking coffee and energy drinks, so it may help you if you need further assistance!
All in all, I hope you find this helpful!
Disclaimer: In this article I'm not saying that coffee is completely bad, I just believe that if something becomes an addiction for you like it did for me, then you should definitely break the bad habit.
Love & wellness,
Kylie