As an self-proclaimed coffee addict, I decided to embark on a quest to abstain from coffee for a week. I won’t lie when I say that I had some extreme reluctance about this sort of venture, but as I started becoming reliant on three or more cups a coffee a day, I knew my habit had to be put on a standstill. Usually, I drink coffee multiple times a day, everyday, and if I don’t I get a headache or feel very sluggish. By deciding to go a week without coffee, I hope to curve my cravings and feel less jittery as a response to drinking less caffeine.
Day 1
Instead of starting my day with coffee like I usually do, I decided to have some green tea instead. Since green tea has some caffeine, I thought it would be a decent substitute for coffee. However, changing my morning routine of drinking coffee soon proved to be a challenge. I immediately felt angry and sluggish without my morning coffee and completely unprepared to face a whole day of work and school. It did not get any easier throughout the day and I had to constantly fight the temptation to buy coffee when out and about.
Day 2
Waking up, I definitely was not excited to go another day without coffee. Once again I had some green tea hoping the small amount of caffeine would help me through the day. However, as soon as I got to class and saw everyone with their colorful Starbucks cups, I immediately regretted my decision to give up coffee. Unfortunately, I chose to stay off coffee right at the moment Starbucks started their holiday drinks. This day was very difficult, mainly because it seemed as if everyone around me was drinking coffee.
Day 3
In order to get to my job, it requires cutting through a café, making my coffee withdrawal all the more challenging. As I saw everyone siting and drinking their coffees contently, I longed to do the same. I had a headache and felt extremely tired and all I wanted was some coffee because I knew it would make me feel a lot better.
Day 4
Day four seemed as if everyone was making references to coffee just to piss me off. My professor mentioned how much he needed a cup of coffee and my whole class seemed in agreement as we quickly got into a discussion about coffee after class. I, on the other hand, could not stop yawning and thinking about how handy coffee would be at that moment.
Day 5
On this day, I surprisingly did not wake up with a craving for coffee and felt as if my addiction had greatly diminished since the beginning of the week. Yet, as soon as I got outside, that feeling immediately reemerged. It was freezing outside and just one of those days where you want to be curled up in bed with a cup of coffee and a good book, but instead I was at work fighting to stay awake.
Day 6
With only two days left of avoiding coffee, I surprisingly did not feel the need for it anymore. As the people I was with ordered coffee, I decided to change things up and try a chai latte with almond milk. The taste was definitely different from a normal latte, but I unexpectedly liked it. It was unlike anything I usually ordered and the best part was that it was much lower in caffeine than a usual cup of coffee.
Day 7
My last day was for sure the easiest. After going out really late at night and getting little sleep, all I wanted was some tea to warm me up and make me feel revitalized. I found that I no longer wanted coffee, which was a very strange feeling since earlier in the week I could not imagine a day without wanting coffee. I found that tea was a great alternative to my usual sidekick.
Final thoughts
Overall, my week without coffee was tough and at times I really thought I was going to give in and just order a coffee, but I am glad I didn’t. It was definitely a huge eye opener and made me realize how much of my routine and how I felt was driven by coffee. In my week without it, I felt drained at first, but as my cravings wore off I found myself at ease and not as jittery as I usually am after drinking tons of coffee. I do not see myself completely boycotting coffee anytime soon, but instead I may try to drink less or incorporate decaf.