I found out I actually didn’t need 800mg of caffeine to get stuff done
I started drinking coffee at the ripe age of 13. I had watched my mom and sister make coffee every morning for years, and there was just something so appealing about the aesthetic of it, so I finally joined in. Soon enough I was drinking coffee every day and it quickly became a staple of my morning routine. It didn’t pose a huge problem until I came to college.
My freshman year was full of chaotic fun. It also made me feel extremely tired every day. Of course, I was still drinking my daily morning coffee, but I quickly began to drink caffeine throughout the day, and then I started replacing my coffee with on-the-go energy drinks. Before I knew it, I was drinking multiple Celsius every day, along with my morning coffee and the occasional Bubbl’r. I was up to 800-1000 mg of caffeine per day.
I was completely jacked up on caffeine. I wouldn’t start a task, like going to class or work, without having some type of caffeine on me. The amount of caffeine I was regularly consuming was having physical effects on me, the main one being an increased heart rate. I was shaky and nauseous. One would think these side effects would have made me quit caffeine, but I was so convinced that without caffeine I would be too tired and unable to get my work done.
One consequence of my caffeine intake was my inability to sleep. This drove me insane. Instead of lowering my caffeine, I started taking melatonin. Like embarrassing amounts of melatonin. I was in a vicious cycle of caffeine, melatonin, caffeine, melatonin, and so on. It was terrible. The melatonin made me feel so groggy in the morning, which in turn, fueled my desire for caffeine.
Come second semester, I went through some unfortunate changes and circumstances and became unbearably anxious, which unfortunately brought on some very similar side effects as my caffeine. I was even more shaky, nauseous and irritable.
It wasn’t until the end of my Freshman year that I went to the doctor for help with my anxiety. Aside from going on medication, the number one thing she recommended was cutting my caffeine intake. I finally decided to listen and lower my caffeine. I immediately cut out energy drinks, which was the main culprit of my absurd intake. Cutting energy drinks lowered my daily caffeine a tremendous amount. And I felt substantially better.
At first, I had headaches and felt crappy, but I quickly began to feel more alive than I had for the past year. I was more energized during the day and actually felt sleepy at night. I was able to cut out my melatonin almost completely and have a full night’s rest. I was waking up easier with more energy and less anxiety. Caffeine wasn’t the only reason I had anxiety, but it amplified the negative feelings that anxiety brought. I found that without caffeine I was still able to complete all the same tasks and feel better doing them.
I am a much happier person now, with my one cup of coffee a day. I sleep better, eat better, have better skin and better days. While cutting out caffeine didn’t cure my anxiety, it made me realize there are things I can do to make my life easier and more enjoyable.