I am currently in a course for addiction and recovery studies, and my professor gave us a project to give up something we felt we were addicted to. Some gave up social media, others gave up vaping, and I deemed that I would give up caffeine. I had come home to tell my roommates that I would be doing a detox of sorts. Their first reaction was fear for me, seeing how I usually cannot function without a kickstart. They got concerned for themselves and if I would to bite their heads off (luckily I did not, praise God). They even tried to convince to give up Snapchat or Instagram instead. I was determined to give up caffeine all together, well for at least two weeks.
For a little background information: I would wake up each morning and drink a cup of coffee. By lunch I would have a caffeinated soda of some kind. When I got home I would drink a Dr. Pepper, which was my favorite, or down another cup of coffee to power through the evening. If I was going to workout I'd put caffeine drops in my water to give an extra boost. My days revolved around being able to stay awake, with the help of caffeine. Natural energy was very nuanced to me.
For the first couple of days it was easy to be on top of the world. I had a positive outlook on what was to come. I had a refreshed sense of myself. By the end of my first full week, I was frustrated. It took much of my will power to stop from brewing my Keurig, stopping by a gas station, or avoiding Coke in the vending machine. It was suddenly becoming harder to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning without my cup of coffee. I was taking more naps than I usually would to get through the day. I was even lacking the motivation to go workout like I usually would. The lack of caffeine was really starting to take its toll on me.
The start of week two, was seeming like a drag until I made a realization. I had not had any migaraines since I had stopped drinking caffeine. I was used to experiences 1-3 a week on the regular. It was odd for me to feel almost refreshed and tuned in without a pounding head. I almost began to feel sad, because what if I could never have my cups of coffee like before?
I have officially finished the two weeks and I have a few thoughts. In case you are wondering, yes I have drank caffeine since it ended. I experienced a Dr. Pepper, and I almost didn't get as excited as I usually would. I haven't gotten around to drinking coffee again. I think part of it is that I really do not want to have migraines like before. I enjoyed the clarity that I felt while giving up my typical routine. I didn't like the lethargic feelings that I encountered, so maybe giving up majority of caffeine was the best thing that I ever did. As for now, I have the goal to end the caffeine all together and look into natural and organic ways of energy besides the cup of coffee. I still might enjoy that cup, but this time let's make it decaf. I will only drink caffeine in moderation. Hopefully, a complete goodbye of migraines will come in return.
