Why I'm Giving Up Coffee This Winter
Start writing a post
Featured

Dear College Kid, If You're Made Of 75 Percent Starbucks Like I Am, It's Probably Time To Cut Back

I'm cutting out caffeine this winter. Somebody get a stretcher ready.

171
Dear College Kid, If You're Made Of 75 Percent Starbucks Like I Am, It's Probably Time To Cut Back

There's nothing better than that first sip of a latte on a chilly Wednesday morning as you walk down College Avenue to get to your first class of the day. You feel the energy, motivation, and the will to live, all encapsulated in a grande paper cup with a weird green statue of liberty lady printed on the side of it. This is a great start to your morning, making you ready to begin your day.

Caffeine is very common on college campuses. You see a Starbucks logo everywhere you go (unless you want to try gourmet coffee, in which case I recommend Saint's on Beaver Ave). But there are many issues that come with drinking a lot of coffee. And for those reasons and more, I am making a conscious effort to slowly lessen the amount of coffee I drink in a day.

I know. It sounds like I'm setting myself up for failure/disappointment/days where I walk around like a zombie because I haven't so much as smelled coffee beans in weeks. Let me explain.

Coffee is a stimulant. This is a known fact, and for many of us, that's why we drink it. It wakes us up, gets our day started, and we view it as a necessary ingredient to a well-balanced morning. There are also people who drink coffee because they genuinely love how it tastes (cue the Cappuccino people who ask for so many additives and substitutions that the Starbucks employee definitely spits in their cup). Some people can't go even a few hours without the magic that is cold brew running through their veins, and I don't blame them.

See also: 6 Times It's Actually OK To Be Rude To Your Starbucks Barista

However, I've noticed within myself that along with all of the great benefits that coffee brings me, it also has a lot of cons that I wish it didn't. For example, once I'm on my second or third cup within a few hours, my hands begin to shake and my heart races faster than I ever could (cue my 11 min mile). I hate how anxious all that caffeine makes me feel. So a challenge that I am going to be attempting this winter is to lessen my caffeine intake as much as I possibly can. I'm at a point in my coffee career where I can't just stop cold turkey because then I get these awful headaches, completely defeating the purpose of cutting it out in order to benefit myself. So my plan is to trick my body with one cup a day, then maybe half-and-half, until I get to a comfortable point where I don't feel like my body is dependent on it anymore.

We'll see how this goes. Somebody get a stretcher ready.

Report this Content
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

90463
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

62388
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments