I quit all caffeine

[inFlow]

Just wanna share my experience.

I quit it all. Cold turkey. Coffee, green/black tea. Never putting my hands on it again. I was experiencing anxiety for so much time that I thought it was normal to feel that. And no spiritual practice was able to help me there. But once I went off of caffeine I noticed that I'am A LOT MORE calmer by default. I no longer have anxiety and can talk to anyone in public, I'am no longer "shy" which was caused by anxiety from caffeine. I spent a week listening to youtube podcasts from doctors and simple people who talked about how they quit caffeine and what has changed and wow... I understood how bad caffeine actually is!

The first two weeks were really hard. I was tired already at 11AM and didn't have any MOTIVATION to do anything. This motivation was lost because caffeine increases dopamine. And Now I'am about a month in without it and wow am I back! I have these random increases in creativity out of nowhere which was never present when I consumed caffeine. And I no longer have energy crashed, my energy levels are present all day! I don't get the high spikes though, but I will take it any time of the day. I know some people might not be affected as much in case of anxiety and other symptoms, but if you do have anxiety on a daily basis, check if it's caffeine that is giving you all of that. It raises your adrenaline levels and you are on a flight-fight ALL DAY. Now think about what that does to you!

Mostly I quit it because of anxiety, I wanted to see if it affects me and YES IT DID. But there are other great benefits of quitting it.

[Wilhelm44]

1 hour ago, inFlow said:

Just wanna share my experience.

I quit it all. Cold turkey. Coffee, green/black tea. Never putting my hands on it again. I was experiencing anxiety for so much time that I thought it was normal to feel that. And no spiritual practice was able to help me there. But once I went off of caffeine I noticed that I'am A LOT MORE calmer by default. I no longer have anxiety and can talk to anyone in public, I'am no longer "shy" which was caused by anxiety from caffeine. I spent a week listening to youtube podcasts from doctors and simple people who talked about how they quit caffeine and what has changed and wow... I understood how bad caffeine actually is!

The first two weeks were really hard. I was tired already at 11AM and didn't have any MOTIVATION to do anything. This motivation was lost because caffeine increases dopamine. And Now I'am about a month in without it and wow am I back! I have these random increases in creativity out of nowhere which was never present when I consumed caffeine. And I no longer have energy crashed, my energy levels are present all day! I don't get the high spikes though, but I will take it any time of the day. I know some people might not be affected as much in case of anxiety and other symptoms, but if you do have anxiety on a daily basis, check if it's caffeine that is giving you all of that. It raises your adrenaline levels and you are on a flight-fight ALL DAY. Now think about what that does to you!

Mostly I quit it because of anxiety, I wanted to see if it affects me and YES IT DID. But there are other great benefits of quitting it.

Well done !

Any advice for getting through the first 2 weeks ?

[inFlow]

31 minutes ago, Wilhelm44 said:

Any advice for getting through the first 2 weeks ?

Slowly decrease caffeine. I did it cold turkey and I would highly recommend decreasing it bit by bit until you take in zero! But if you do it cold turkey too and cut it off completely just go through the pain. You will notice that you do not have MOTIVATION to do anything. Also I understood that the "crash" is pretty much chemical, by which you deplete dopamine for that time and just crash out, it's not as if you don't have energy, you don't have dopamine to keep you going! Now my dopamine system is back to normal and I can function all day, I'am way more happier than I was on caffeine, the feeling of being ecstatic on my own is a very empowering feeling!

[Wilhelm44]

46 minutes ago, inFlow said:

Slowly decrease caffeine. I did it cold turkey and I would highly recommend decreasing it bit by bit until you take in zero! But if you do it cold turkey too and cut it off completely just go through the pain. You will notice that you do not have MOTIVATION to do anything. Also I understood that the "crash" is pretty much chemical, by which you deplete dopamine for that time and just crash out, it's not as if you don't have energy, you don't have dopamine to keep you going! Now my dopamine system is back to normal and I can function all day, I'am way more happier than I was on caffeine, the feeling of being ecstatic on my own is a very empowering feeling!

Cheers, thanks !

[sholomar]

Same here. My nervous system is already overstimulated so it doesn't need more stimulants. 

[UnbornTao]

Relatable. I did the same... for five days last week.

[inFlow]

It's been quite some time now and I noticed that my energy levels are always so stable. Yes I get tired, but a quick rest resets it and I can keep going. With coffee I was always sluggish by the end of the day and felt like it was normal. It isn't.

[UnbornTao]

6 hours ago, inFlow said:

It's been quite some time now and I noticed that my energy levels are always so stable. Yes I get tired, but a quick rest resets it and I can keep going. With coffee I was always sluggish by the end of the day and felt like it was normal. It isn't.

I noticed that too.

[Optimized Life]

I am a few days in and brain fog got so strong that I ended up napping for like 6-8 hours in the day, then waking up at night. 

Seems like probably just have to accept a week of mediocrity, if not possibly longer. 

Unexpectedly, I'm enjoying the disrupted circ rhythym rebalancing, something oddly blissful just waking up at 10-12PM and being awake at night, with no agenda or desire to achieve anything, zero discipline, just letting your brain follow its random curiositiy 

I watched alex beckers illuminating series on caffiene 3 years ago and it made me rethink, but I failed and forgot to give it up

3 years later I am finally ready to try it out. 

Caffiene is amazing if you're not addicted and can ritualize or control it, if its a social thing or 1-2 per week max, but I have always spiralled. 

Alex beckers series on it is pretty good, I love how he expalins it in such a dumbed down, relatable way that is scientific but just grounded to its basic core : "it floods your brain with cortisol and blocks adenosine, the receptor which is supposed to naturally signal fatigue" ect.. Andrew huberman could learn from this guy, he loves to make things as complex and academic as possible, like he's almost flexing his devotion to thal mighty PHD Club  

Edited 5 hours ago by Optimized Life

[Maximilian]

On 7/4/2025 at 0:57 AM, inFlow said:

Just wanna share my experience.

I quit it all. Cold turkey. Coffee, green/black tea. Never putting my hands on it again. I was experiencing anxiety for so much time that I thought it was normal to feel that. And no spiritual practice was able to help me there. But once I went off of caffeine I noticed that I'am A LOT MORE calmer by default. I no longer have anxiety and can talk to anyone in public, I'am no longer "shy" which was caused by anxiety from caffeine. I spent a week listening to youtube podcasts from doctors and simple people who talked about how they quit caffeine and what has changed and wow... I understood how bad caffeine actually is!

The first two weeks were really hard. I was tired already at 11AM and didn't have any MOTIVATION to do anything. This motivation was lost because caffeine increases dopamine. And Now I'am about a month in without it and wow am I back! I have these random increases in creativity out of nowhere which was never present when I consumed caffeine. And I no longer have energy crashed, my energy levels are present all day! I don't get the high spikes though, but I will take it any time of the day. I know some people might not be affected as much in case of anxiety and other symptoms, but if you do have anxiety on a daily basis, check if it's caffeine that is giving you all of that. It raises your adrenaline levels and you are on a flight-fight ALL DAY. Now think about what that does to you!

Mostly I quit it because of anxiety, I wanted to see if it affects me and YES IT DID. But there are other great benefits of quitting it.

Great job!

I am very much a coffee addict. My caffeine intake ranges from 150-300mg per day. But about once every two months I will go cold-turkey for a week. I notice it does wonders for my nervous system and sleep. But it definitely is an adjustment. I'll usually crash hard around 3-4pm mark.