How to deal with Caffeine Addiction?

Caffeine is one of the most consumed drugs in the world with about 90% people endorsing it on a daily basis. The reason for its high consumption is simple; it makes you feel more awake and less tired. This caters to the demand of every adult to work harder and relax less.  

This central nervous stimulant can interfere with your sleep and slowly build your dependence on it. This habit can take a long while to break and make it difficult for you to get through the day without taking the dose you thrive on.

Steps To Slowly Distance Yourself From Caffeine

# 1. Cutbacks

You can wean yourself off it gradually. All you need to do first is to jot the number of cups you are sipping. Are you surprised to find out yourself, aren’t you? Now that you know how much you are drinking, you have to cut down on your consumption day by day. If you are drinking 5 cups a day, start with 4 then 3, till you get to one in a week and then have the tolerance to go without it for an entire day.

# 2. Tell Yourself You Have A Cheat Day 

The thought of getting no coffee after you have been on it for a while can set off anyone and make them feel like someone is trying to take away a great part of their identity. Adults usually need something to get through the day as life is trying for all adults. The knowledge that you can drink caffeine like you used to once a month can reassure you that you are not losing yourself completely. This will help you be in control of what to choose instead of addiction choosing for you.

# 3. Look For Other Sources Of Coffee

Caffeine can be obtained from a lot of sources other than coffee. This will help you cut back on your addiction slowly, and the alternatives will alleviate the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal.

# 4. Avoid Coffee At All Times

The presence of cafe’s spell is doom for you as they make everything from work meeting to a regular rendezvous with friends an occasion to sip coffee. A lot of people get addicted to caffeine in this manner. The ubiquitous presence feeds on our addiction, and we don’t even realize it as we have deemed it as normal or routine. Keeping a check on what you take when you go out is the way to ensure that you are on track for a change.

Alternatives To Maintaining Your Energy And Willpower

# 1. Decaf

Decaf coffee is just like regular coffee except the caffeine removed. The nutritional values are preserved, and there is no major difference in taste and color. Opting for a decaf will help you accomplish your goal and not waver.

# 2.  Try Herbal Supplements

You have not slept early in a long while, and you don’t want it to change soon. So how do you go about staying awake with your friend absent? Asian Ginseng, Vitamin B12, Magnesium and Vitamin C are all supplements that can give you that extra energy and help you maintain your concentration for longer hours

# 3.  Green Tea

A change of taste is prescribed whenever things are getting out of control. Though both coffee and green tea are known to improve brain function, they have different effects on the body. Green tea helps flush out the toxin as it is rich in antioxidants and will definitely aid you in switching over from coffee or quitting it permanently.

# 4. Protein Bars

Small protein bars can give you the same boost for which you depended on caffeine. Lower the amount of caffeine and serving the same purpose protein bars are a good choice for anyone looking to get out of addiction.

Withdrawal Symptoms And What To Do About Them

# 1. Headache

A caffeine headache usually starts behind the eyes and then moves up front. This can happen when you try to cut back on caffeine too fast as your body has become used to this drug. The best way to help yourself during the withdrawal is to take small amounts of caffeine so that your body copes up with change and doesn’t feel it’s all too sudden.

# 2. Sleepiness

You have been a record maker till now for being on your toes for 30 hours straight without a blink and full energy. All this loaded up on caffeine energy has gone for a toss when you have reduced your intake. You need to be patient and more tolerant of the fact that you will feel low on energy from time to time and you cannot always rely on something to defy your body’s natural signal.

# 3. Irritability

Whenever we make a transition, it is not easy for us as it means physical as well as mental change. There will be resistance that will cause irritation. You need to tell yourself that this is only temporary and will pass if you smother that irritation by telling yourself it’s okay.

# 4. Low Water Level

You did not rely on coffee only for caffeine, not drinking coffee will also make significant changes to the amount of water level in your body. You need to stay hydrated so that you replace your source of water and stay energetic during the day.

# 5. Muscle Pain And Stiffness

Caffeine prevents receptors in the brain from dilating blood vessels. The absence of it leads to muscle pain and stiffness which can make even the strongest of us cringe and cry for help. Drinking plenty of fluid is advised to mitigate such pain.

# 6. Out Of Focus

You have been super alert till now, taking care of everything and performing every chore effortlessly. Was that you or just caffeine? You wonder now as your ability to concentrate has taken a hit. Taking a power nap or relaxing in the spa will help you regain your attention and focus.

# 7. Heart Rhythm Changes

This one is a long shot, but chances are it could happen as caffeine is responsible for stimulating heart muscles. So remember to not withdraw all at once and ease into it slowly.

# 8. Anxiety

The really anxious ones among us are the ones who don’t know how to stop worrying and are constantly at odds with happiness. To cope up with such mental restlessness, they need to pause for a minute and address what’s bothering so that they don’t go on stuffing their feelings in the wake of not getting caffeine.

# 9.  Bowel Movements

Caffeine is known to help with bowel movements so withdrawal from it will lead to a change in your pattern and make you frustrated. The best thing to do here is to consume things that aid digestion till your pattern changes.

# 10. Nausea And Vomiting

It can make you aversive to food which won’t go well for you as you will feel terrible between the hunger pangs and the caffeine pangs. The best way to get out of it is to go for a run or take up any form of physical exercise that will release dopamine and keep your mind in the good chemical state.

Let us know how you got off the caffeine addiction which troubled you or are you still finding it hard? Share your story in the comments section below.

(Image Courtesy: 1. Red Orbit, 2. Kicking Horse, 3. Olson House Coffee, 4. BBC, 5. Health Magazine, 6. Health Matters, 7. Harvard Affairs, 8. Carolyn Rogers, 9. Wow Remedies; Grande Kaffe(Featured Image)