If you’ve ever been a coffee addict, you’ve definitely tried to quit the caffeine consumption at least once in your life, and if you’re reading this article right now, there’s a good chance you’re still looking to quit, right?
Well, there’s some good news and some bad news. The good news is that it’s totally possible to dial down on your daily cups of joe for good. The bad news, however, is that it’s going to suck, and you’re going to go through some withdrawals and periods of self-hatred, especially if you literally cannot function unless you’ve started your morning with coffee. But, if you’ve tried to quit before, you know that already. This article is written with the intention of easing your transition as much as possible, so keep reading if you think it’s finally time to say goodbye to coffee!
The key to letting go of something is allowing it to fade away. In other words, when most people try to stop drinking coffee, they make the mistake of cutting it out of their life all at once, kind of like when someone starts a diet. When they do that, they experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as sleepiness, headaches, irritability, lack of concentration, anxiety, and so on.
You won’t be able to quit drinking coffee immediately unless you have the time, patience, and willpower to feel shitty for the next few weeks. (Fun fact: NOBODY wants that). That’s why the first step to quitting coffee is to continue drinking coffee. Yep, keep your daily routine up, but do small things that’ll trick your mind into believing you’re still going through the same routine. Brew your coffee a little less strong. Water down your cup of coffee once you make/buy it. Ask for/put extra ice in your iced coffee. Put a little more milk in your coffee. If you don’t like the taste of diluted coffee, mix your brew: half regular, half decaf! Basically, do anything that’ll keep the amount of coffee the same while cutting down on the actual caffeine content of the drink.
Once you get used to your “light” coffee, try to slowly drink less, especially when you start your day. Instead of having one cup of coffee, have a ¾ cup. Also, try drinking your coffee slower. The caffeine kick will hit when you’re not even done with your coffee, which could encourage you to actually drink less and stick to less.
When you feel comfortable with everything you’ve read up until now, try replacing some of your daily coffee with tea. Tea still has caffeine, just to a lesser extent. If you feel like you won’t be able to switch to tea just yet, keep diluting your coffee; maybe you can switch to lattes (with no coffee, just one shot of espresso!). Remember, your goal is to trick your mind and body into having a smaller caffeine intake. It doesn’t matter how you do it, because, truth is, everyone will adjust in different ways. In the end, there’s just one achievement in mind: less caffeine. Keep doing all of this until you’re absolutely sure you don’t need coffee in your life anymore. If it helps you, switch to decaf only! It tastes the same, makes you go to the bathroom less, and has no caffeine.
One important thing to remember during this process is to take your time. If you can’t switch from “light” coffee, to less coffee, to no coffee in a few weeks, taking 1 or 2 months (or even longer) to do it is completely okay as well. As long as you know you’re working towards progress, you will be fine. Good luck!