Dear college student reader, I’m sure that you’ve tried coffee, right? I mean, those 3 am sessions of cramming for a test don’t just happen naturally, do they? Well, not reallyー though caffeine sure makes the job easier. Say hello to coffee: the magic liquid that makes us start the day on the right foot, gives us that daily burst of energy we always need, and warms up our bodies on those cold mornings. Alas! We love to drink it, but is it really all that good for us? Well, due to its high levels of caffeine…maybe not. Caffeine has actually been linked to high stress levels and afternoon slumps, which are two big no-no’s for us students. And honestly, I’d say that does explain a lot. I know, I know I could just try to drink decaf, but is it really coffee if I don’t feel the sudden adrenaline rush coursing through my veins?
To give you a bit of background about me and my coffee addiction, I actually started drinking it when I was 10 years old. I don’t mean casually drinking it whenever my mom would give me a sip of her mug. I mean full-on tiny Ana carrying her adult-size coffee mug, getting her daily dose of coffee in and bouncing off the walls because of all the pent-up energy. 10 years later, it’s still a part of my daily routine and one of the reasons I’m actually able to walk out the door on some mornings. It has gotten to the point where I would actually need to drink 3 cups of coffee in a row to actually feel focused again. I realized that may or may not be a problem. So, after debating it for a little while, I decided to try out one of those detox challenges in which I would try to quit drinking coffee cold-turkey for a week, just to see what would happen…
First Day (Monday):
Oh, what a perfect morning to wake up after having just gotten 5 hours of sleep! I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even feel the side effects of not drinking coffee yet because of how tired I was. I actually woke up normally, ate my breakfast and paired it with water (weird), and then proceeded to get ready for college, all the while yawning. I made it to my 10:00 am class, sat down, and 30 minutes in…. The professor’s voice would seem to get farther and farther away from me, and my surroundings started getting blurry. Time and time again, I’d have to remind myself that I was in class in order to snap out of it. Needless to say, I was dozing off. Nonetheless, drinking ice-cold water actually helped keep me awake for the remainder of the class. Generally speaking, I just felt I had less energy to work with during the rest of the day. Some tasks were completed at a slower rate, and others were downright left unfinished . I ended up going to bed at around 9:00 pm, which is actually a normal bedtime for me(weird pt.2). Honestly, I wouldn’t say it was all too bad, but not being able to have the bursts of energy I’m used to getting on a daily basis threw me off for a bit.
Second Day (Tuesday):
After having slept far better the night before this time around, I actually had a bit more energy in the morning. With that being said, I got a horrible headache around 12:00 pm. I even had to take some Advil to alleviate it. This is when I realized how serious the whole “coffee addiction” thing I would joke around with really was. I was actually addicted to caffeine and was experiencing withdrawal systems. It seems silly, but when you think about it, caffeine is also a drug. That’s why all of us coffee addicts feel like we get a “high” off of taking that first sip of our daily cup and, without it, we feel miserable. All in all, it was an eye-opening experience, but also one that made me feel terrible.
Third Day (Wednesday)
Once again, I had gotten a bit more sleep because I had gotten to bed earlier the night before. On this day, I was also pretty slow with my tasks. I eventually noticed how I wasn’t rushing things and didn’t really mind the “laziness” I was experiencing. The jittery feeling I would get every morning just wasn’t there, which made me feel sluggish and groggy. I honestly don’t know which is worse. Even though I felt exhausted, I had to get things done; so (once again) I tried to drink as much ice-cold water as I could and power on through the day.
Fourth Day (Thursday)
So… this is when things went south. I had woken up normally, like every other day of this challenge, but I felt a headache start at around the same time; only this time, it came back with a vengeance. I’m not going to lie to you, I did give in. I ordered a tall coffee with almond milk and that turned out to be the best drink I’d had those past 4 days. Unsurprisingly that instant feeling of relief appeared as soon as I took that first sip.
So, as you can probably tell by now, I have only described my caffeine-deprived experience for four consecutive days instead of seven. Yes, I failed the challengeー and quite miserably at that. All in all, I think it did teach me a lot about what my approach to drinking coffee or not drinking coffee should actually look like. It taught me about the importance of balance and not changing routines cold-turkey, but instead trying to ease into things slowly. It’s okay to drink coffee, but maybe only a cup a day. You can also try alternating the days you do drink it. Let’s say you drink it three times a week instead of seven. Or, if you’re a heavy drinker and are used to chugging four cups a day, try bumping that number down to only 2 a day, and go on from there. The bottom line here is that changes are possible. For it to work, you just have to know what you’re willing to compromise and understand that slow but sure wins the race. Changes do take time, but consistency is key. That is to say, moving forward, I will try to be more mindful of the amount of caffeine I put into my body and the effect it has on it, while simultaneously trying to hydrate myself with more water. Wish me luck!