Ah, yes, caffeine. The average college student’s “drug of choice.”
It’s nearly impossible to walk across any college campus and not see someone carrying a coffee from the school cafe, or a trusty can of Celsius. I myself have fallen victim to the daily dose as I am always itching for a nice iced coffee at the start of my day.
However, as much as I want to say that it is helping me become more productive by keeping my energy levels up, I’ve found it to be quite the opposite.
More often than not, I find myself getting extremely jumpy when I’ve just downed a cup of a caffeinated drink, especially an energy drink. This is more distracting that beneficial to getting my work done, as I am now focused on the fact that my heart is beating far too fast for just sitting down and reading my assigned texts.
Restlessness kicks in and I end up doing pointless tasks or walking around campus rather than getting what I actually need to finish done.
It’s even worse when the effects wear off. I am left with an intense longing to rot in my bed for the rest of the day, but I can’t actually rest in peace because I never got any of my work done to begin with!
I’m not saying that everyone is going to have the same experience as me, but I have a feeling that some people would also like to be able to get through the day without needing a cup of caffeine.
The FDA says that 400 milligrams of caffeine should be the limit of how much someone consumes in one day. Though one average cup of coffee has around 90 milligrams, energy drinks are a different story. Some drinks have over 200 milligrams per can!
One 8oz coffee may not send you into a frenzy, but a a 12oz canned energy drink certainly can.
With that being said, I think it would do everyone a bit of good if they paid more attention to what it is they are consuming.
I feel like some people think that the more caffeine the better, but smaller doses may be more effective at keeping your brain awake for just enough time without the added effects of sleeplessness and extra anxiety that too much caffeine could induce.
Something I have done to cut down on my caffeine intake is to drink water instead.
I am a confident believer that the only thing people should be addicted to drinking is water. At one point in my life I used to drink at least two full 32oz bottles of water a day. Now I usually just barely get through one, but I can say that the days I am the most hydrated are the days I feel the best.
I haven’t completely cut out caffeinated drinks from my life. When it’s crunch time for an essay or exam and I need a little boost to keep me going I am not opposed to taking a little cup of coffee with me. I have found it especially effective to take an energy booster when I’m doing some chores around my dorm.
Becoming more conscious of when a caffeine boost would actually benefit me has both helped my work ethic as well as my bank account (One $3 drink a day adds up pretty quick).
I get that people like to have their fun little drinks every day, but when it comes down to it, do you really want to rely on an energy drink to be able to get through the day? Let’s start putting a little more faith in our bodies to support us and cut down on the caffeine.