Midterm season has been upon us for quite some time now, and that probably means that most of your calories consist of ones from coffee. No judgment here; the same goes for me! Long days and late nights of studying can be exhausting, and it’s only natural to need some caffeine in your system to fuel you. Especially if you’re taking advantage of Moffitt Library’s 24-hour policy, a coffee or two in your system is almost necessary.
However, something that I’ve recently discovered is that caffeine often elevates my anxiety. At first, I ignored this fact due to some pretty solid reasoning (I love iced coffee and desperately needed it to continue studying for my many exams). I viewed it as a temporary side effect of being productive, but, in reality, increasing my caffeine intake also drastically increased my anxiety. At some point, I realized that I couldn’t keep justifying worsening my mental health at the expense of grades or productivity.
But this didn’t change the fact that I still needed energy or motivation to stay awake. My predicament led me to find the perfect– and most delicious– solution! Matcha! While matcha contains caffeine, it’s far less than the average cup of joe. According to The Tea Makers, “On average, a cup of matcha contains about 70 mg of caffeine, in comparison to 100-140 mg in a cup of coffee.” This is already quite the difference, but it gets even better. Even though matcha contains less caffeine, it actually keeps you alert for longer. Normal coffee typically has a caffeine rush that spikes your adrenaline and ends in a sudden crash. In contrast, matcha releases the caffeine slowly and makes you feel calmer due to the slow caffeine absorption.
Once I started switching to iced matcha lattes instead of iced mochas, there was a noticeable difference in my nerves, which is why I recommend it to everyone! If you’re looking for places with great matcha and vibes, I also have many recommendations. My personal favorite order includes an iced matcha latte with a pump of vanilla, then topped with cinnamon at Free Speech Movement Cafe on UC Berkeley’s campus. Another perfect place to study with the most delicious, high quality, matcha is at Mind Coffee just past Northgate Hall on Northside. There, I get the Ceremonial Iced Matcha with the House Crema!
Now that you have a few recs to start you off on your matcha journey, I hope you’ll enjoy the different variations of the drink while also being able to study without jitters!