I Stopped Trying to Quit Coffee. Here’s What Happened.

What no one talks about.

Caffeine is one of the most addictive drugs on Earth.

Mainly, because most people don’t think of it as a drug — we supercharge our brains with sugar-free energy drinks, shovel white powders in our mouths before workouts, and chug lattes to get back to a baseline of functionality.

These are seen as healthy habits.

And, as much as I’d love to sit here and write about finally kicking my coffee habit, it’s simply not true.

Here’s how I’ve become wary of my coffee intake. And, why I haven’t quit…

Everyone gets the half-life wrong.

If you’ve ever tried to kick your coffee habit, it’s likely for 1 of these 3 reasons:

• Sleep
• Anxiety
• Digestive issues

In life, what goes up must come down, and many of the positive benefits of coffee, come with equally-weighted detriments. Personally, I was unknowingly addicted to caffeine for the majority of my life.

Unable to sleep at night, I’d rely on energy drinks and coffee to make it through the day, only to be met with a brick wall of insomnia when I laid my head down to rest.

Coffee has a half-life of around 8 hours.

This means if you drink a cup of coffee at 2, about half of the caffeine content will still be in your system at 10 PM. On the surface, it seems like an easy fix — stop drinking caffeine earlier in the day.

But, here’s what people miss.

Caffeine has an aftershock effect. And, because of the nature of half-lives, it takes a lot longer for our bodies to recover from the static buzz of our daily cups of coffee. Depending on your weight and how much you consume, it can take up to 16–20 hours.

As an “adenosine antagonist”, caffeine prevents most of us from ever resting at all. And, slowly pulls energy from our cells, resulting in physical and mental burnout.

How coffee really works.

Most people look at each morning as a fresh start. And, what better way to start your day than a fresh cup of coffee?

The aroma, taste, and routine attached to it — it’s one of life’s simplest pleasures. And, the fact that a plain cup of black coffee has many health benefits, makes it a welcome addiction, for most people.

But, here’s the problem.

Aside from the lightning bolt of enlightenment, it shoots through your brain, coffee gives us energy by suppressing the chemical in our brains responsible for making us tired (known as adenosine).

Much like a timed sprinkler, adenosine is released into your body to help you fall asleep. But, being an adenosine antagonist, coffee blocks its effects, allowing you more time and energy to get things done.

Over time, your body creates a build-up of adenosine, and when you don’t have the protective guard of coffee in your system, you crash.

This peak and trough effect is perpetuated by the fact that (according to this study),

“Caffeine is rapidly and completely absorbed in humans, with 99 percent being absorbed within 45 minutes of ingestion.”

That first hour is blissful.

But, the mental stimulus of caffeine is short-lived, and most people end up coming back for a 2nd, 3rd… 5th cup.

Over time, your body begins to red-line, causing your endocrine system (hormones, nervous system, cellular function) to crash.

And, creating a sleep debt which must be repaid. If it isn’t, you risk energetic bankruptcy...

Is quitting really the answer?

I try to live a very clean lifestyle.

I don’t smoke, rarely drink alcohol, and have all but deleted social media apps from my phone. But, I do enjoy my coffee.

During my late-morning energy dip.

Before a workout.

It’s a little slice of fun in my otherwise very structured day. And, being that plain black coffee (such as I drink), has many health benefits, it’s not a bad vice to have. It:

• Keeps your regular
• Increases blood flow
• Aids in creative thinking

It’s also been proposed to have long-lasting benefits on heart health, longevity, and reduces chances of contracting Parkison’s disease.

Basically, I just don’t want to quit.

And, as popular neuroscientist Andrew Huberman preaches, coffee can have some positive benefits, if you follow a few healthy guidelines:

• Don’t drink it for at least 90–120 minutes after waking up
• Consume approximately 1–3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight
• Stop drinking it as early in the day as possible (10–12 hours before bed)

But, even with all the healthy practices in the world, there’s one reality of coffee consumption.

Humans operate on a 24-hour clock. Coffee doesn’t.

The harsh reality is, over time, we begin drinking coffee out of habit.

Not as an aid — but as an addiction.

How I’ve tried balancing my coffee intake.

Like many people, daily coffee consumption isn’t sustainable for me.

At some point, the high-strung velocity of mental focus comes with a crash. And, in the past, it would take months for this cycle to play out.

So, I’ve tried every practice under the sun to create a healthier balance with coffee.

Attempt #1:

Quitting cold turkey.

When coffee has become a detriment in my life, I’ve quit altogether. But, generally, after a few months, I’d come crawling back. Usually for these reasons:

• Productivity (I’d feel like I was falling behind in life)
• Community (I’d feel left out at work or with friends)
• I would unknowingly consume it, like it, and start drinking it again

Or, I’d find myself beginning to gravitate toward more harmful vices, such as alcohol, junk food, or social media.

Attempt #2:

Using coffee only as a pre-workout supplement.

Finding myself drinking coffee habitually and without purpose, I’ve tried using it merely to aid in my workouts. But, what I found was I’d begin cheating myself, working out too much, just to justify my coffee intake.

Plus, because your body becomes dependent on coffee, the day after an intense workout, I’d feel extra sore. And, I’d often get sick because my body now had to deal with coffee withdrawals in addition to athletic recovery.

Attempt #3:

Just drinking less.

The truth is, I like the high caffeine provides.

And, although I’m not going crazy, restricting myself to a single cup of coffee per day has never worked for me.

Very similar to dieting, if I’m going to do something, I want to enjoy it. And, I much prefer to practice intermittent abstinence rather than counting every drop of caffeine that enters my bloodstream.

Eventually, through a Goldilocks process of trial and error, I found a routine that works for me…

How I actually did it.

I often feel for those who suffer from eating disorders. Food is something we all must consume to survive, so learning to cope with an addiction, whilst engaging in it, adds a thick layer of difficulty.

Although I’m perfectly aware I don’t need coffee to survive, I’ve accepted it as my one vice.

So, it’s been a process to develop a routine which will let me reap the benefits, while:

• Getting enough rest
• Not becoming dependant
• Enjoying it (without feeling guilty)

And luckily, after years of trial and error, I’ve finally struck a nice balance. Basically, I’ve combined my past 3 attempts into a hybrid coffee routine.

Here it is…

#1. Follow all the coffee guidelines:

As I’ve accepted coffee as a way of life, I make sure to follow all of the cautionary measures including:

• Not consuming caffeine past 12 PM
• Waiting 90–120 minutes after waking up to drink it
• Not exceeding 300 mg per day (as per my body weight)

This helps give my body enough time to wake up naturally each day, clear out residual adenosine, and fall asleep at night.

#2. Use it for exercise and recovery:

Although we think of coffee as a mental wonder drug, a large portion of its benefits are physical.

Coffee essentially triggers the fight-or-flight response:

• Increasing strength and endurance
• Promoting physical movement/motivation
• Acting as a vasodilator (allowing blood and oxygen to flow through the body faster)

In addition, coffee helps restore glycogen in our muscles, drastically speeding up recovery and allowing you to work out more often.

So, although I primarily drink coffee before my workouts, I will also drink a small cup of coffee the day after, to promote recovery and allow me to stretch when I really don’t feel like it.

#3. Take coffee breaks:

Literally… like, take breaks from drinking coffee.

Intermittent fasting has been one of the best practices I’ve brought into my life. It’s helped me develop a healthier relationship with food whilst giving my body ample time to digest.

And, what I’m discovering is, I’m forming this same relationship with caffeine.

Instead of accepting my fate as a daily coffee drinker, I’ve begun taking a minimum of 2 days off of coffee per week. In my mind, if I’m not exercising or recovering from exercise, there’s no real need for me to drink coffee.

Instead, I will accept I won’t be quite as productive and work on brewing an energetic surplus for the next day.

Final thoughts: it’s all about balance.

In life, everything is connected.

And, one of the beautiful things about continuing to exist on Earth, is how past experiences smooth over future ones. Instead of running myself into the ground, I’m learning to find a healthy balance in all things.

And, being that coffee is a pretty special thing, it feels nice to enjoy the best of both worlds.

To summarize — here’s how to strike a healthy balance with coffee:

• Accept your vices (everyone has them)
• Follow the coffee guidelines
• Use it but don’t abuse it
• Trial and error
• Balance

In the end, it is possible to have your cake and eat it too. Just don’t have it too much, too often, or for the wrong reasons. And, if you’re feeling a little naughty, why not wash it down with a nice cup of coffee?

Hi, I’m Hudson. I write about living healthier, happier, and more mindfully. To see my stories pop up on your feed, I’d love for you to follow me (Hudson Rennie). And, to have stories sent directly to you, subscribe to my newsletter.👇

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