Do you constantly feel like you can only start your day after your morning coffee? Or do you feel sluggish throughout the day without a midday coffee? You are not alone.
It's safe to say that most of us are coffee lovers. Whilst coffee can provide good antioxidants, overconsumption could actually be bad for our health.
Cutting out caffeine altogether is no small feat. However, if you are struggling to cut down your caffeine intake, it may be time to evaluate whether you are over-relying on your morning caffeine dose. Here are a few indications to determine if you are having too much caffeine - time to cut your caffeine intake:
Feeling anxious
Even if you are happy with your coffee obsession, making some minor adjustments could benefit your health in the long term.
One of the indications of excessive caffeine could be anxiety. For instance, excessive consumption of caffeine could lead you to overestimate your stress levels, causing you to be more anxious and stressed.
This may impact your performance throughout the day. Some symptoms you may feel are:
- Tiredness at work
- Inefficient and unproductive at work
- Overthinking situations
Mood swings
Caffeine is a highly addictive stimulant. Hence, if you feel that you often wake up groggy and snappy, you may be over-relying on caffeine.
This is because your body is used to a certain level of caffeine. So, when you take it out of your morning routine, it could cause mood swings.
It may be especially difficult to cut out caffeine entirely right away as you may begin to feel withdrawals. Hence, we recommend that you cut your caffeine intake slowly and make changes steadily over time.
Muscle aches
Do your muscles feel stiff and achy when you don't drink coffee?
This may be one of the indications that you are over-relying on coffee and the withdrawal symptoms have begun to kick in. At this point, it is wise to increase your water intake and stretch your body when you can - at your desk, or when you get the chance.
A way to ease muscle aches is by improving your overall diet by incorporating high-energy foods and easing yourself into low-intensity exercise like yoga.
Concentration issues
You may feel that you are easily distracted and constantly looking to refill your coffee cup in order to start your next task. If you struggle with concentration without your daily caffeine fix, it may be a sign that you are over-reliant on the stimulant.
Some alternative decaffeinated drinks that can help you reduce your caffeine intake include:
- Herbal teas
- Dandelion tea
- Turmeric latte - which is full of antioxidants
- Water
Coming off caffeine is difficult and many will find it mentally challenging. By taking small steps like switching to decaffeinated drinks and incorporating more water instead of your daily latte will make a huge difference to your mood and productivity.