The smell of it makes my toes curl and my mouth bubble with saliva. It wakes me up in the morning, jolts me in the afternoon and soothes me in the evening. I am a slave, bending to its every drop on my tongue. I am a coffee addict and science says you are too.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Studies show that 30 milligrams or less of caffeine can alter self-reports of mood and affect behavior and 100 mg per day can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms upon abstinence.” What I learned from this is that I am in trouble.
On average, one cup of coffee has 95 milligrams of caffeine in it. If you have not guessed by now, you can form a dependence on caffeine by drinking one cup of coffee per day. Most people drink much more than this, I know that I do. The common side effects of a java junkie in need of a fix can easily be passed off as the simple side effects of being a busy, sleep-deprived college student. But don’t let your body fool you.
The typical side effects include: headache, fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating. The more extreme side effects manifest themselves as flu-like symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
The first step is admitting you have a problem. I can show you the road to recovery; it’s your choice whether or not you take it.
1. Cut back gradually
If you have five cups of coffee a day (cough cough, me, cough) try having four. You do not want your body to hate you and trust me it’s going to try to. Which brings us to the next step…
2. Find a different drink of choice
This drink may be very similar to coffee. A good example of this is tea, decaffeinated of course! This can help provide you with the physical fix of drinking a hot beverage but won’t have all of the negative effects that the dependency brings.
3. Get more sleep
If you feel fatigued after cutting down your coffee intake, which you will, go to bed earlier. Your body has to learn that it cannot rely anymore on the quick bursts of energy that it is used to in order to keep you going at a mile a minute.
4. Take up a relaxing hobby
Try yoga or kickboxing. People relax in different ways, and caffeine, although it may seem counterintuitive, can help with anxiety for some people. So whether you need to try a Chaturanga flow or punch and kick a bag, find something else that will relax you.
While I myself am still trying to kick the caffeinated goodgood, I have found that all of this has seemed to be helping. And when all else fails remember: everything is okay in moderation.
P.S. Tylenol is your best friend when it comes to the headaches.