Why I Quit Drinking Coffee Every Day

I quit caffeine, even though I love the taste of coffee.

Why?

Because I believe I shouldn’t need to depend on it.

I shouldn’t “need it” to:

• Start my day

• Get to work

• Train at the gym

The Duality Of Caffeine

Coffee has become such a ‘norm’ that nobody seems to question it.

Most people drink it, enjoy it, and benefit from it.

Like alcohol, it’s a socially acceptable drug, but unlike alcohol, it’s supposedly “good for you” and reduces the chances of disease.

It makes you feel good, be more alert, and gives you energy.

It’s fantastic for getting work done, enhancing your training, and starting your day.

(Andrew Huberman recommends that if you use it to start your day, delay caffeine intake until 1-1.5 hrs after waking to avoid the energy crash later on.)

Along with the benefits, come the detriments.

Craving caffeine is painful.

We feel like we “need a cup of coffee” to get going.

We start becoming dependent on it, and we start needing more cups to get the same effects as last time.

I wasn’t aware of my dependency until I started drinking more than 1 cup per day.

What Inspired Me To Quit

After a tiring day at work, I remember watching a YouTube video from Hamza Unfiltered.

More on caffeine from Hamza.

Learning about the benefits of quitting inspired me to quit on the spot.

• Increased discipline

• Much more vivid dreams

• Increased mental clarity, presence, focus

• Almost zero anxiety and anxious thoughts

• Constant energy levels throughout the day

I had also watched a video from Strength Side, and heard others talk about it on the ATG Podcast.

Besides this, was what I already knew about my situation with caffeine.

When I came home from work I would be “too tired” to get anything else done.

It was the caffeine crash that usually occurred around 3-4pm.

I even followed Mr. Huberman’s advice to delay caffeine intake until later.

No difference.

Since I felt terrible, I would eat a massive meal, but that just added to how tired I felt.

I would just lay on the floor, or in my bed, feeling like I couldn’t move an inch, and listen to the JRE.

Coffee didn’t even energise me anymore, it just made me tired.

I knew something had to change.

So I tried going to work without caffeine.

I couldn’t believe what happened…

Going To Work Without Caffeine

It was another day to get after it.

But this time I left the coffee out.

I worked then went home.

I expected that energy dip I always get around 3-4pm.

I didn’t get it.

Not only did I avoid fatigued, I noticed that my energy levels throughout the day were quite consistent.

I felt ecstatic!

I was able to stretch and listen to an educational podcast completely fine.

This result was amazing, but it probably wasn’t just avoiding caffeine that made it.

Caffeine Is Just The “Short-Term Fix”

Caffeine is a drug that almost anyone can take.

People believe in “magic pills” that can:

• Make them feel better

• Help them lose weight

• Treat and manage diseases

Few people want to actually do the work to achieve results.

But you and I both know that anything worth achieving in life requires hard-work.

Mood, alertness, and energy are all things we can increase naturally.

The main levers we can pull are:

• Diet

• Sleep

• Exercise

Without diet, the body isn’t fuelled.

Without sleep, the body isn’t recovered.

Without exercise, the body atrophies.

We can’t just slap on some caffeine band-aids when we have a terrible wound from poor sleep, poor diets, and poor exercise.

The Caffeine Experiment

I took my sleep-quality from one caffeinated workday, and one sober workday.

Note: This was done right after the other (Wed 15th Nov - Thu 16th Nov).

In Day 1, you could argue that because I had 7 hours of sleep, I was fatigued.

But 7 hours isn’t bad according to my Oura Ring, ‘sleep-score’ was 80 which was “good.”

The difference in diet was that in Day 1 I broke my fast at 9am with a protein-blended coffee.

After drinking this, my stomach definitely got upset.

Digesting this was probably why I felt sluggish throughout the day.

In Day 2, I fasted until 5pm and felt great.

I lifted weights on both days.

7 hours of sleep and a protein-coffee probably wouldn’t affect your day this much, but I definitely felt tired.

The difference I felt in Day 2 going sober was like night and day.

What I got from this experiment was that for me, caffeine wasn’t worth it anymore (and that I should get more sleep and avoid certain foods).

The Caffeine Withdrawal

I wasn’t aware caffeine had withdrawals, and I didn’t think I’d experience it from just drinking 1 cup a day and then going off it.

But then I felt it.

I know that after a few days of going sober, I’ll get some (brutal) headache.

But what about the most common symptom nobody really thinks is a symptom?

The cravings.

Just from smelling, or seeing coffee, you can experience mild to intense cravings.

It just tastes so good…

“I can’t live without coffee” they say, like an addict who can’t live without drugs.

But worst of all is the grogginess.

Caffeine, supposedly giving you energy, will make you feel tired until you drink another cup.

Tired? Drink coffee.

Tired from coffee? Drink more coffee.

Fatigue —> Caffeine —> Energy —> Fatigue

Caffeine unbeknownst to you is the cause of your fatigue, creating a vicious cycle.

And while some can sleep after drinking caffeine, others can’t, so they’ll be tired the next day.

The 3 withdrawal symptoms:

• Headaches

• Cravings

• Fatigue

Should I Quit Drinking Coffee?

“But coffee has many benefits!”

Don’t get me wrong.

I love the taste of coffee, and the effects it has on my focus.

But I believe everyone should be able to focus and work hard sober.

If you always “need something” to get you going, can you really call yourself disciplined?

For me, the benefits of quitting far outweigh the benefits of ingesting it, especially as someone who experiences anxiety.

If you experience the 3 withdrawal symptoms, go sober for 2-4 weeks.

Lastly, you don’t need to cut it out forever.

Look at it like ice-cream or alcohol.

Enjoy yourself when travelling, with friends, on the weekends, without the withdrawals.

Remove dependency and rely on your own disciplined potential.

— Henry