Coffee Addict to Caffeine Free: Perspective After One Month

I went from drinking 4 to 6 cups of coffee a day (yes, an entire pot of coffee!) to zero caffeine and am here to tell you the good and the bad and advice if you want to make the switch 🙂

A little background: I did not drink caffeine during my first pregnancy or while nursing my second son. Additionally, I survived life without drinking caffeine (other than the occasional Diet Coke) until my junior year of college! I have an addictive personality, so for me going COLD TURKEY is easier than moderation. I knew that I could go without caffeine, but as any coffee addict will tell you, it is dang hard.

First off, there is nothing WRONG with drinking caffeine. Coffee is probably more popular now than ever before. We are a society that lives on coffee and slogans about “coffee first” or “survives on coffee” are ever present, especially among moms. It is just part of our culture. There are also numerous “health benefits” associated with drinking coffee in moderation (google it and you will see many!).

However, if you are like me, it is easy to become addicted and want more energy, especially in the throws of motherhood. I listened to an episode of the SHE podcast where a physician discussed women’s cycles and the effect of caffeine (among other things) had on increased PMS and other symptoms. Not to get too TMI, but the past few months my time of the month has been completely miserable. Therefore, when I heard that taking out caffeine MAY help my symptoms, I was up for giving it a try.

I am here to report, it has been a month and I am still caffeine free and will probably continue to be caffeine free for some time. While I definitely crave that afternoon pick up and the early morning pick me up, the benefits of going caffeine free outweigh those fleeting feelings.

Here is my perspective from going caffeine free:

The Good:

Less anxiety: This was a surprise for me, but I feel less anxious. The amount of caffeine that I was consuming probably has a direct correlation with my anxiety. While I am not anxiety free (pretty sure there is no mom on the planet that is!), it has certainly helped with my anxiety levels.
Less irritability: This was the big one for me when it came to PMS. I found myself less irritable during the time of the month than I previously was. While I still get irritable, it is definitely easier to manage and less of an all consuming thing (if that makes sense).
Earlier bedtime and more sleep: Without my afternoon coffee, I get tired earlier and have moved my bedtime up almost an hour! It means that I am getting more sleep 🙂
Less dependency: If I didn’t have the afternoon cup of coffee or pick me up, I could feel myself being sluggish. Now, I can get by with a slight dip in my energy and with a quick walk around the neighborhood or workout–I am back to my normal self!

The Bad:

Harder to wake up: This is probably a no brainer, but I miss the jolt the first cup of coffee gives me!
Afternoon slump still exists: I wish I could say I am full of energy all the time, but unfortunately the afternoon slump still exists.
Lower energy: Somedays I am just more tired than others, on those days having a little jolt of artificial energy would be great. I exercise or do something that brings me joy to naturally increase my energy levels.

The Advice:

Do it gradually: I went cold turkey and let me tell you, I had headaches for almost a week. I read that it can take up to 9 days to get it out of your system and it took all of 7 for me to feel fully normal.
Switch to decaf: I still drink coffee every single day (sometimes 3 times a day), but it is decaf coffee. I love the taste of coffee and its a hard habit to break after over 10 years. I spoil myself and use Peet’s Coffee k-cups in my own Kerig which taste better than the auto drip coffee I drank for years.
Exercise: In the afternoon when I feel an energy dip coming on, I go for a walk or do a quick workout. It increases my energy levels the natural way!

Have you gone caffeine free? If so, what were your major takeaways?