Is it Time to Cut Back on the Caffeine?
Have you ever
had one too many cups of coffee? Or maybe thought that you have been drinking
way too much caffeine lately? Don’t worry because I have definitely been there!
If you’re like
me, then there have definitely been times when you have needed to cut down on
your coffee intake. Here are a couple easy solutions to cutting back on caffeine!
My first piece
of advice is to go decaf. I’m not saying that you need to need to cut out
caffeinated coffee completely, but maybe for your second cup you could consider
grabbing a cup of decaf instead. Last semester during finals, this trick worked
great for me. During finals season or even times when I have a lot of work, I will
usually take many coffee breaks. I realize now that this is part of my habitual decision making in that I don’t
actually need a cup of coffee, but I will seek it out when I am in need of a
break (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 254). I would end up drinking too much coffee and
it would actually hinder my ability to complete my work. However, when I switched
to decaf during my study breaks, I achieved the same level of value in my
consumption without being over-caffeinated.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/10491222/Indie-coffee-shops-taste-sweeter.html
Another time
when it might be a good idea to stop drinking coffee, is when you are sick. Studies
have shown how too much caffeine can weaken your immune system, so it is
probably not the best idea to have too much coffee when you are sick. Here’s an
article that shows the effects of caffeine on the immune system: https://www.copemanhealthcare.com/resources/time-tea-caffeine-consumption-affects-immune-system
It has always
been a huge challenge for me to cut back on my caffeine intake when I am sick. I
have realized that it is important for me to self-regulate my coffee purchases when I am sick, and to be action-oriented in my caffeine consumption
(Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 238). In doing so, I have been able to use the situational
influence of being ill to stop my
regular coffee consumption and prevent me from drinking too much caffeine. In order
to cope with my coffee cravings, I have found that tea is a great alternative.
Just make sure that you buy decaffeinated tea, as the caffeine in normal tea
can also be damaging to your immune system. Here’s an article with the best
types of tea to drink when you are sick: https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/5-best-types-tea-drink-sick
https://wallscover.com/tea.html#
Now, the top
reason I find that causes me to drink too much coffee is when I am tired.
Coffee acts as a nondurable good, which
is a simple solution to my tiredness (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 287). This in
itself is not necessarily the issue, as I think it is perfectly acceptable to
drink a cup of coffee in the morning to help you wake up. The problem arises in
my consumption frequency
(Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 288). I consider my consumption frequency to be high
when I am drinking three or more coffee beverages a day.
A part of the environment
in college is often a feeling of exhaustion from a lack of sleep. However,
coffee is not the only solution. Sometimes all I need is a quick nap during the
day to feel energized. Just make sure you don’t sleep more than 20-minutes at a
time since any longer can make you feel even drowsier. Additionally, I have found
that exercise is a great way to boost energy levels. Even a quick 30-minute
workout is enough to strengthen blood circulation and the heart muscle, making
you feel more alert and energetic. And my last solution, which I know will work,
is just to get some more sleep at night. I know this is not always possible,
but it is really important in feeling awake and not having to over-caffeinate.
These are the solutions
to my coffee addiction that I have found extremely helpful. Still, don’t feel
like you have to cut out coffee completely. It is about finding a healthy
balance and not consuming too much caffeine!
Source(s):
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp. 238-287). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
I am also someone who is also guilty of sometimes consuming too much caffeine so your blog hits close to home. Something I have found that works well for me is to just keep a bottle of water in my backpack. Even though I know I should be, I am not a huge water drinker. I will however reach for the water when my coffee runs out and I get bored as I am someone who always needs something to sip on. This is great for me as it increases my water intake and cuts my caffeine intake.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned a nap is a quick way to feel more energized which reminded me of a phenomenon called the coffee nap. Essentially you quickly drink a cup of coffee and then go to sleep. The caffeine will hit your system in about 20-30 minutes and jolt you awake feeling more energized than either a nap or coffee alone would. They have been found to be extremely effective in doctors who work long hours. I will link below a quick how to guide in case you would like to learn more.
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/science-says-coffee-naps-are-better-non-caffeinated-ones-ncna797186
Hi Taylor! I wanted to start off by saying great job on this post! I really like how you took a different perspective to coffee and instead of talking about all the benefits of coffee, or even the best spots to get coffee you discussed the potential harms of it. This was a good/unexpected change of pace from your last two posts that discussed your love for coffee and all your favorite joints to get it in AA. So unlike you and most other students in college I am not a big coffee drinker. I am not a huge fan of the taste and often opt for tea instead. I tend to have a negative perception (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 51) of coffee as I don't enjoy the taste, I feel the effects are temporary, and I am always left with a headache after. For the most part, coffee is a situational (Angell, 11/8/17) purchase for me. What's interesting, but also unfortunate, is that the only times I choose to consume coffee is due to being exhausted and sick. The reason these excuses are both unfortunate is because you mentioned both as being bad/harmful reasons to drink coffee. On the bright side, I am really big into exercising, therefore next time I am feeling unusually tired I could try doing a quick workout as you suggested, and hopefully will find the energy I need without having to consume caffeine. Something I was unaware of is the fact that coffee is not good for you when you're sick. I tend to do the opposite because I usually get sick at the worst times and because I can't take the time to rest, I drink coffee in hopes it will give me the strength to power through my day. After reading your post, and now understanding that coffee can weaken your immune system, I will never choose coffee over sleep or tea when I am feeling under the weather. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your post and feel justified in my decision to drink tea over coffee. Incase you're looking for another option when you find yourself consuming too much coffee, I wanted to leave you with a quick read that offers just some of the health benefits of drinking green tea. I hope you enjoy!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea
Angell, A. (2017, November 8) CB Chapter 11 Situations. Lecture Presented in University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., p. 51). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.