Why I Gave Up Coffee & Why I Started Drinking It Again

This summer, I moved to Chicago. Due to the limited room in the car, and my absent-mindedness, I left my coffee maker at school. At first, I panicked. Then, I thought about it. I decided I didn’t want to buy another coffee maker because I already have two at home but then the more I thought about it, the more I saw it as an opportunity. Personally, I dislike being dependent on something to get through the day. Also, I have struggled with acne since my teens and a majority of my acne stems from my diet. So, I saw this as an opportunity to experiment. A few things happened when I gave up coffee. 

1. I saved money. True, giving up coffee did not bring newfound wealth to my bank account but I did stop spending money on it. 

2. I switched to healthier alternatives. I started drinking more water and green tea for my caffeine fix. 

3. My face cleared up. My acne did not clear up immediately, and I did still have it but it was not to the degree that I had suffered initially. 

Now, this was great for the summer when my only responsibility was getting to work- in the building I lived in and could sleep and do whatever, whenever. However, when I came back to school, a few things changed and I began drinking coffee again. There were a few reasons for me picking back up the habit. Most of these are going to sound like excuses, but to be honest, I was not that committed to the “no coffee” life. I picked up coffee again because of these reasons. 

1. My roommates drink it. Both of my roommates drink coffee during various times of the day so I would always smell it. 

2. It’s everywhere on campus. Anywhere you go on campus, coffee is not far. So, between being at home and being at school coffee and the smell of coffee was EVERYWHERE. 

3. Coffee is a social drink. Catching up with people, working on projects and networking events are all commonly surrounded by coffee, so like I couldn’t turn it down. 

4. Bribery. This is weak, I am aware, but I would bribe myself to do my homework, go to class and get out of bed with the thought of coffee. Just because I gave it up doesn’t mean I don’t still enjoy it and let’s face it, college is hard, especially your last year, senioritis is a thing. 

I know you’re probably wondering about the acne situation. My acne continues to be a thing, however, I stopped putting cream in my coffee which really seemed to help. At the end of the day, I decided that my drinking coffee is better for my well being and the well being of everyone around me. I am addicted again, but it is an addiction I have chosen to manage.

• coffee
• food
• health
• mental health
• school
• senior year