If you told me a year ago that this time next year I wouldn’t be an avid coffee drinker anymore, I would have laughed in your face. Why?! Because as important as coffee is to our go-go-go American culture (think of all the coffee shops we have on every street corner, the fact that people constantly agree to ‘go get coffee’ together, and more), it's necessity became equally ingrained in me.
Whenever I didn’t have an iced coffee in hand, I’d feel like I was forgetting something (I kid you not). Dunkin’ Donuts cups became something of a fashion statement for me, according to one of my closest friends. My obsession with the delicious caffeinated beans took over my life (and my wallet!).
Since I had a lot on my plate, I’d think of caffeine as fuel to accomplish everything I needed to for the day (well, that and I loved the taste). I would go to Starbucks on-campus in the morning, a coffee shop off-campus in the afternoon, and have a cup of coffee in the dining hall at night. Whenever I met someone who didn’t like coffee, I couldn’t wrap my mind around how someone could survive without it. You get the picture. I was hooked.
What changed?!
This winter break, I took a semi-hiatus from drinking coffee. It wasn’t intentional; it was simply that I was working pretty steadily for two weeks for rather lengthy shifts and didn’t have much time to grab a cup. When I finally found the time to get a cup again, I found that my signature medium iced coffee with whole milk and caramel didn’t leave me feeling enchanted or happy or ready to take on the day. In fact, it actually made me plain jittery... and a little nervous.
I deemed that experience a fluke and refused to believe that my beloved favorite drink would actually have a negative impact on me. So, I tried to drink coffee again a few days later. The same thing happened. I was still unable to process this. I gave it another go. No luck; the same result. After these experiences, I knew that I had to do the unthinkable: quit drinking caffeinated coffee.
This was NOT an easy task for someone who drank three cups a day! However, since then, I’ve replaced drinking coffee with drinking iced tea, or an iced chai tea latte, or (very occasionally) a decaf iced coffee or latte. That way, I still get to have a delicious drink, but not one that will give me the jitters.
Quitting coffee isn't for everyone. If you can drink it and don't get any "side effects," then there's no reason to really change your habit. But if you find yourself less than content with how you're feeling after drinking a cup...it might be time to re-evaluate either what you consume or how frequently you consume it.
Do I miss running around with my signature coffee order? Sometimes, yes. But I love my newfound sense of tranquility and the absence of the ‘coffee jitters’ even more.
