Quitting the Caff

I think I may be one of those people who started drinking coffee out of a sippy cup.  That may be a stretch, but every morning for as long as I can remember, there'd be coffee brewing, and I'd get to take in at least a sip or two.  Most times when I was younger, it was decaffeinated.  But, alas, at some point in the timeline, caffeine snuck its way into my coffee, veins and heart. 

As I've been working recently on a better state of overall health, it came to my attention that caffeine was somewhat of a hindrance to that.  Granted, quitting coffee--or at least the caffeinated variety--would be no small feat for me.  It has literally been the best part of waking up for me for at least a decade.  At first thought, I couldn't even get my brain around attempting this.  However, with some will power, I was able to dive in and begin the adventure. 

I had definitely heard of the headache that accompanies quitting caffeine, and I am guessing there had been a time or two I suffered one due to late intake.  But, as I did this in a more mindful fashion this time around, I was stunned by the force of the headache that did materialize.  There was nothing...and I mean nothing...that was going to soothe this pain.  I tried popping a few Advil, figuring they may take the edge off.  No way.  After getting through day one, on day two, I started trying to "google" remedies for a headache that results from caffeine withdrawal.  The best solution was to take a nap.  I'm not sure about everyone, but speaking personally, I'm pretty sure it will not turn out well if I take a nap midmorning at work.  

So, at this point in the process, I decided that it would be best for my body, state of mind and productivity at work if I decreased my amount of caffeine rather than stopping cold turkey.  This required keeping zero regular coffee in the house.  And at this point, I have managed to go from about 3 cups of coffee in a day to one.  I no longer feel charged by the caffeine in a bad way, I feel far less impatient, and, perhaps best of all, I worship that one cup I do have, so I've gained a new appreciation for it rather than seeing it as a non-negotiable start to the day.  Perhaps in the next blog entry, I can explain my new affinity for Tim Horton's small double-double coffee...