About a month ago I decided it was time for me to reduce my caffeine intake, and I decided to go cold turkey. There were a few motivators for this. I realised that I was drinking 5 cups of tea a day and still feeling tired. Also, I was waking up at 3am every morning and (over-share warning) I had a Nana bladder.
So, how was my first caffeine free week? I’m not going to lie to you. The first two days were horrendous even though I was armed with delicious herbal teas and my big water bottle at my desk. I started on Tuesday and whilst I really wanted a tea I didn’t crack, so I progressed in to day two with confidence.
That was until 10:30 hit and a sharp knife started jabbing at my right temple. A few months ago that probably would have had me out and I would have conceded to the tea. Admitting defeat and pretending that I didn’t really want to win the battle anyway.
However, I stuck it out (avoided pain killers for obvious reasons) and by Wednesday I was feeling good. The best part was that by 8pm that night I felt really tired. I finally started sleeping through the whole night. I couldn’t remember when the last time was that I did that.
On Wednesday night I realised that I was really missing milk now that I wasn’t drinking tea. So I had half a mug of warm milk.
Caffeine Alternatives
When Thursday afternoon hit I had finished all my T2 detox tea and needed to get some more. I planned to go to the mall at Friday lunch time, but when 2pm hit I noticed that I had completely forgotten about the tea. This was a big achievement. I had taken control of my need, and it was no longer consuming me. See what I did there :-p
Friday was a walk in the park, and when all six of my friends had coffee after dinner on Friday night I still said no. That coffee smelt so good though. Instead I opted for a sleepy tea when I got home. Such a good life choice.
My plan was to last until my birthday which was only a few short weeks away from when my caffeine detox started. Then I would ask my husband to spoil me with one of his home roasted, home ground coffees. I SURVIVED and man, did that coffee taste AMAZING! And everyone who saw me that day was well aware of the caffeine buzz I was on.
Why, after kicking the habit am I consuming caffeine again? Because, to me a great tea or coffee is like a fine wine. In moderation it does you good. And I LOVE the flavour!
That said, I have gone from having five caffeinated beverages a day to having one every other day, and I’m no longer waking up in the middle of the night. The need for caffeine to get through the day is no longer there and that feels good.
Lessons From Relapse
Sadly I have to confess to purchasing a disgusting coffee yesterday to try and get through a day of work with a nasty head cold. Said cold has had me in bed for most of today, and I’ve caught myself doing some dumb-ass stuff.
If you haven’t already guessed, I absolutely struggled to fall asleep last night. I learnt two things from this caffeine detox. Crap coffee is not worth putting in your body (or paying for) and I am very spoilt for choice. My husband buys green beans, roasts them at home, and spoils me with an amazing coffee every few weeks. That or he takes me to Coffee Brothers where they also make coffee with love.
If you’re thinking about going on a caffeine detox be kind to yourself. Stock up on herbal teas and be prepared to feel worse before you feel better. You can do this!
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