You can tell me anything you want, but you will never sway me in the opinion that coffee is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind. It's delicious (if you get the right kind), it keeps you awake and alert, and it has become such a great way to connect with people in our modern culture *insert local coffee shop branch here*. Coffee just seems to make everyone's day better and bring people together who wouldn't normally click. It's like a great big warm bundle of happiness in a styrofoam cup. What's not to love?

Unless you're someone like me, who seems to have found themselves in an abusive relationship with coffee due to one little thing known as anxiety.

For reference, I am not normally an anxious person. I don't suffer from anxiety, nor am I inclined to experience panic attacks in the slightest. But you put a cup of steaming hot coffee in my hand and something just happens... I get the jitters. I get the jitters HARD.

Now, some of you may be wondering, "what does that even mean?". Well, the rest of my anxious coffee drinkers understand, but let me explain. When someone like me takes a cup of coffee in their hands, we expect the best. We expect to get a couple sips of creamy, sugary goodness and be awake for the next couple of hours. We expect to react how a normal person would. We don't expect the sudden headache. We don't expect the shaky hands and legs any time we move around. We don't expect the highly increased levels of anxiety and stress that come in waves following just a few sips. And we certainly don't expect that this much could come from just a small cup.

But it does. AND IT'S NOT COOL, MAN.

Us anxious coffee drinkers have tried ever so desperately to be just like other people and have our daily hot cup of joe, preferably without all the twitching. But does it ever work? Of course not.

However, I've learned my lesson with coffee over the years and found some alternatives that work *almost* as well, if not just as well for those of us who just need a break from coffee (and not a coffee break).

Alternative #1: Tea

Tea is so great. For those who want to stay up a few more hours, there's nothing better than brewing a hot pot of tea and mixing in a little honey to give you that warm fuzzy feeling and a little energy boost. Tea is the much healthier (and sometimes more yummy) version of coffee that is a known system relaxer, rather than an agitator. My personal recommendation- chamomile. The stuff is liquid gold.

Alternative #2: Hot Chocolate

Who doesn't love a good cup of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows?? While on the slightly more sugary side, this comfort drink is well worth it, giving you a much-needed sugar kick in the form of steamy chocolatey goodness. It's especially helpful in the winter months when it's cold outside, but choosing coffee is just going to make you shiver more. Hot chocolate is the perfect recipe for a happy tummy.

Alternative #3: Hot Apple Cider

This one is slightly less known but SOOOOO good. Honestly, my favorite warm drink around the holiday season (or really any season!). Giving you a sweet apple taste, this drink is the perfect thing to get you to sleep like a baby. While this may have the opposite alertness effect as coffee, it serves great as a warm sugary drink alternative!

Alternative #4: Protein-Packed Homemade Smoothies

These are drinks that are SURE to give you the energy boost you need in the morning, without all the harmful caffeine. By simply adding in a few scoops of protein powder to a fruit or veggie smoothie, you not only give yourself an instant energy kick, but you also stock up on nutrients for the day such as protein (obviously), vitamins A, B, and C, and folic acid (which is helpful if like me, you tend ever so slightly to the anemic side).

Alternative #5: Pomegranate Juice

I just recently discovered this absolute gem this past year and DEAR GOODNESS IT'S AMAZING. Pomegranates are yummy in themselves, but when you drink up a full glass of straight pomegranate juice it's like the doors open to pomegranate heaven. Pom juice is not only absolutely delicious, but it gives you so many great health benefits. It's a known natural system cleanser that helps balance fluid retention, contributes to healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and some even say helps in preventing multiple diseases (like cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease). Basically, it's flippin' awesome and you should pick some up on the way home.

Having to turn down coffee can be awful, especially on those early mornings when you have a 7 AM staff meeting and the coffee maker is RIGHT THERE. But it doesn't have to be the end of the world. Sticking with the 5 coffee alternatives above can make you a much healthier, much happier, jitter-free morning person!