We get it, coffee is the life force that flows through our veins, and you would rather jump into a freezing pond than think about giving up your morning cup of Joe. Coffee contains what we all love to drink, caffeine. This stimulating substance helps us wake up in the morning, be a little more productive, and kicks those afternoon lulls away. Caffeine can also be addicting and cause issues later down the road for people. This includes trouble sleeping, poor diet habits, and mood swings. Kicking caffeine isn’t an easy thing to do either. You will go through a period where you experience withdrawals, and the cravings will be even stronger. Fortunately, there are ways to help beat caffeine withdrawals. Here are six of them.
Ease Into It
Going cold turkey on caffeine may sound like a good idea, but the withdrawals and cravings will hit you like a ton of bricks, which could lead to a relapse. Instead, ease into kicking the caffeine slowly. If you have a weekend where you aren’t doing anything or a vacation coming up, use that time to your advantage and drink less and less caffeine until you aren’t drinking it anymore. Set yourself up for success but sleeping a bit more, lounging around, and conserving your energy during the beginning.
Find A Good Substitute
Sometimes we like the warmup of coffee on a cold morning, or a Diet Coke at lunch that helps you relax. Whatever it might be, find something similar that doesn’t have caffeine and work it into your life. It could be a hot cup of non-caffeinated tea in the morning, blasting your heater in the car, or switching your regular Diet Coke to the non-caffeinated version.
Come Prepared For The Headaches
Let’s face it, no matter what you do; you will be cursed with a caffeine headache once you stop drinking it. Come prepared with to fight those headaches the minute they start with some ibuprofen or something with magnesium or turmeric in it which is known to help combat headache symptoms.
Find Another Way to Wake-Up
If you need an afternoon boost, but you’re not reaching for coffee, try something else that can help wake you up. Opt for something else that can spike your energy like a quick walk, playing with your dog, or doing a short yoga video on YouTube. All these things will get your energy up the same way a sip of coffee would, and it is better for you in the long run.
Keep a List of How Your Life is Improving
You’re a week into quitting caffeine, and you’ve never felt worse. Instead of being depressed and thinking of giving up, keep a list of how your life has improved since you stopped drinking caffeine. This can include things like sleeping better, saving money, or a better diet overall. It doesn’t matter what you add to the list, as long as it is positive. Then every time you are feeling a lousy craving, you can revert to your list and see why this is all for the best.
Invest In Good Teas
Teas are fantastic for our body, plus they taste good both cold or hot. Herbal teas are known to help combat some symptoms that you might feel when going through caffeine withdrawal, plus it can counteract dehydration, which will only make that headache worse. Do some research and find what teas are best for you. You can even go into tea stores and try a few out, just make sure they are non-caffeinated.
