How I Quit Coffee

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For those of you who know me well, you’re going to read this title and think “oh for the love of God…”. Yes, I know. I’ve quit coffee too many times to count. I mean, this was no light addiction…I actually googled “coffee drinkers anonymous” once. No, that is not me making fun of any addiction group…it was legit something that I felt had a major control over me.

A month ago I joined one of my friend’s health programs. She’s a hormone queen, she knows her shit. I’ve watched her change over the last few years, and her living and breathing the program is what sold me on it. (check out her program here)

But one thing holding me back was I knew she was going to tell me I had to drop coffee…and I didn’t wanna…

But if I was being completely honest with myself, it wasn’t just her telling me I needed to stop…my body had been telling me for a good decade. I had a fight with coffee for 10+ years, on and off “the wagon”. And it wasn’t like I made peace with the fact that coffee was a vice of mine, I KNEW that my body had been begging me to stop, but again…

…I didn’t wanna…

During one of my sessions with my friend, she led me through a meditation and told me to ask my body what it needed. All I could think about was how badly my body was screaming to drink more water, and please, please for the love of all that is holy, quit the ever loving coffee.

After this exercise, Amanda said in the most graceful way, “if you cannot respect and honor what your own body is asking of you, how can you expect anyone else to respect you or take you seriously.” This is paraphrased, but that is what I took away from it, and it was incredibly powerful to me.

The next day, I made tea. And the day after, and the day after that. Because I realized that I have been seeking someone outside of myself to validate me as a person…to take me seriously. When in truth, I need to honor my own self…I need to seek validation from my own self…I can’t expect anyone else to hold that space for me anymore.

That was powerful. And so much bigger than coffee.

So that is what led me to quit, but the way I have felt since is what is keeping it going with ease.

1. I wake up happy

I always feel so weird when I say this to people, that having no coffee helps me to “wake up happy”, but it’s been by far the biggest change.

I use to wake up on the wrong side of the bed…daily. If anyone made any slight sounds near me, I was grumpy. And here’s why…

…when I woke up in the morning, my head physically hurt. It hurt from sounds, it hurt from being awake. And basically, no one could talk to me until “my brain was working”. Yes, this was a regular statement in the morning in my house.

And I know that there are a bajillion memes out there about how we shouldn’t talk to mommy until she’s had her coffee. And that’s fine and well, and cute. But the reality of that meme wasn’t cute at all.

It sucked.

So now, over a month without coffee, I wake up happy. I smile at my kids (revolutionary, I know). I laugh, I mostly hop right out of bed.

Best part? No one made me do this but me.

also read: 12 Free Acts of Self-Care for the Overwhelmed Mama

2. I’m more clear

This goes right along with the first, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. But this morning my husband turned to me when we were making tea and he said, “you really are clearer in the morning now”. So yeah, let me reiterate what a turd I was in the morning in the before times…

3. No dependancy

Nick makes coffee around me. I smell it every single morning. And guess what? I haven’t budged on my decision. I confidently and peacefully (without any feeling of resentment) drink my tea right along side my husband’s cup of coffee. And even better? Some mornings I don’t even have anything! I enjoy it, but don’t NEED anything now.

The best thing about the way I quit the coffee this time around is that I am allowing myself space and grace to have a cup of coffee if I want. I don’t feel under a gun to avoid it at all costs. I just continue to choose not to drink it to honor my body and what it needs from me.

And the couple of times that I have had a moment of wanting to pour myself a cup of coffee, I can almost feel in my body the way I felt when I drank it (irritable, anxious, toxic), and that feelings disappears just as quickly.

also read: What is a “Joy Equation”?

What I’m drinking instead

I have been switching it up everyday depending on what I am feeling that morning, but here is a short list of my go-to choices:

1. Matcha

I don’t care which brand you choose, that’s up to you…but don’t make the same mistake I did. Choose ceremonial. There are ceremonial and culinary matchas, and from my experience, the ceremonial is far tastier.

I make mine by heating up almond or cashew milk on the stove. Once it is hot, I put in a teaspoon of matcha and a dab of honey and mix it up making a dairy-free matcha latte.

2. Teechino

I tried the regular Teechino, and the barley still hurt my belly, so I ended up ordering the vanilla nut gluten free variety. I put it in my French press and put a splash of heavy cream in it. It’s delicious! (This is my current favorite. Try it here and use the code HEALTHYLIVING for 10% off)

3. Green tea

And some mornings I just make myself green tea with a splash of heavy cream.

Have you ever quit coffee? How did that go for you? Are you a coffee drinker, or a tea drinker? Share with me in the comments below!

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