Life After Coffee

I mentioned in a prior post that I had started drinking chamomile tea in lieu of coffee at work, and the benefits I reaped from it. Two weeks ago, I made the bold decision to eliminate coffee from my diet almost completely. In hindsight, it was a perilous decision that yielded some positive results.

I work at a nursing home, which is a fast-paced environment like most areas in the medical field. My co-workers are coffee-fueled individuals, and at one point, so was I. Unlike my co-workers, I felt that my dependance on coffee was hindering me more than fueling me. I would come home with no energy, ready to crash onto my bed and not get up. There are things that I have in mind to do after my work days that I can’t do if I’m too tired to do anything.

I decided that in order to be more active, I needed for my body to be less dependent on caffeine. So, two weeks ago, I quit coffee cold turkey. Not the best method for giving up coffee, and definitely the most challenging method when working in a high-traffic environment that’s constantly busy.

The side effects were almost immediate. My body started to feel excessive lag, as if a full night’s sleep wasn’t enough to keep me going. Mid-day lag hit like a ton of bricks, with fits of yawning and needing to constantly stretch. My patience was running thinner than usual, and I would find myself irritated by things I would normally turn the other cheek for.

Waking up in the morning was the hardest. I felt like a zombie, trudging along in the morning. While I was able to focus on workplace tasks well enough, it felt as if I needed twice as much energy to concentrate on getting the job done. I had less patience for people who frustrated me, and any semblance of a “poker face” was all but gone. My body was feeling the changes hard.

About 9 or 10 days later, I was finally on an even keel. I was less dependent on coffee than I had ever been. My sense of smell was stronger than ever. I found myself wanting to drink more water, milk, and tea, and I found myself not wanting sodas as much as I used to. I’ve been able to sleep better, and getting out of bed doesn’t feel as tedious. My patience has returned for the most part, and when I’m confronted with things that do irritate me, I’m able to restrain myself and react in a tactful manner.

The minor amount of occasional caffeine that I do take in is from green tea, which has been a healthier option for me. In fact, a wide selection of herbal teas, from peppermint and chamomile to peach ginger, have helped me stay away from coffee for the most part. The rare occasion here or there where I do have a cup of coffee, it’s usually as a last resort instead of a first option. If I find myself without any other option at the moment (I forgot to pack my tea or water, etc.), then I’ll fix a small half cup of coffee to tide me over. Not enough to fully relapse into drinking it on a constant basis, but just enough until I can drink something to flush it out of my system and satisfy my taste.

Overall, life after coffee was rough at first, but once my body readjusted itself, caffeine wasn’t a necessity in my life. Gone are the days of needing a cup of coffee to start my day. Now and days, the only couple of times I need a small half cup may be when I’m about to do an evening workout, if I even need it at all. Do I miss the days of carrying a Folgers packet with me to work? Sometimes. Do I miss the days where I couldn’t function at work without a cup of black coffee? Not at all. This is a case where the pros outweigh the cons immensely. I’m glad that coffee doesn’t play a huge part in my life anymore.

A Cup of Chamomile in a Coffee-Fueled Workplace

In the past week, I’ve found myself pulled into several directions at my day job. Working as a recreation aide, I wear multiple hats and find myself doing several activities back-to-back. Our instincts tell us that in hectic days, we need stimulants, such as caffeine and sugar to carry us through the day. But what happens when those stimulants fail to work, and our bodies are pushed to physical and mental exhaustion?

Yesterday, I decided to go against my usual instinct of guzzling coffee to carry me through. Instead, I brought with me to work the exact opposite of a stimulant: a natural sedative, chamomile. In the past, I had brought up how chamomile functions well against anxiety. Too much caffeine can trigger anxiety, so I had found myself in a position where I’d actually be able to feel the benefits of chamomile.

One cup during the early part of my shift, and I found myself evened out for the first stretch of the day. I expected to feel tired or sleepy, but instead, it actually helped clear out my thoughts for the tasks ahead. I didn’t sacrifice an energy boost to calm myself down; rather, I balanced myself out in order to use my energy in the right way.

Having a clear mind allowed me to finish my tasks without overexerting myself. Instead of attempting to multitask, I was able to focus on one task at a time without pushing myself too hard. Running events became a bit more bearable, and I had enough energy to exert a bit more here and there when needed.

What amazed me was that I actually didn’t miss having one or two cups of coffee during a shift. I found myself satiated with a cup of chamomile or even green tea, with water along the way as well. For the most part, I’d have a cup of coffee after work just for the taste of it.

Chamomile tea also helped me get in my mental zone for meditation as well. Calming my mind helped me focus on my breathing and channel out any distractions around me. As I have mentioned before, breathing and meditation are excellent ways of preventing burnout and refocusing. Using chamomile tea beforehand helped me physically calm my body and relax in order to breathe and meditate, which makes the transition into meditating go smoother. Combining the two elements works especially during a lunch break, where you’re bracing yourself for the second half of the day. Rather than fueling up with caffeine and sugar, which stimulates you but leaves you open for a “crash and burn” feeling at the end, you feel yourself cooled down in order to handle the incoming hectic nature of the second half of your work day. The feeling of focus and calm discipline helps carry me through that long stretch before I can finally clock out.

In fast-paced environments, it can be easy to fall into the trap of needing stimulants like coffee, sugar, and sweets to feel in control. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen co-workers sipping on Red Bull or Monster Energy drinks throughout the work day. While it may give them a temporary boost, it also spikes their blood pressure, which can lead to long-term damage to the cardiovascular system in the long run. No one should physically compromise themselves in the short term and risk long-term damage.

Using stimulants in a fast-paced environment can also lead to mental hurdles, such as fatigue and anxiety. Using a natural sedative, such as chamomile, can counter those hurdles, relaxing you enough to get your tasks done. Like I said, it may sound counter-productive, but think of it this way: when a machine is pushing its limits, the only way to preserve it is to slow down and cool it down. Chamomile is merely a way for you to keep yourself from burning out.

So if you’re in an environment where tensions are high, and you feel the need to churn out as much productivity as possible, it may do you some good to avoid the coffee and fix yourself a cup of chamomile tea. Your body will thank you for it.