Caffeine Addiction – Quick Tips to Make Quitting Easier
- By Tim Whiston
- Published 10/1/2008
- Advice
- Unrated
Tim Whiston
For help understanding and beating your caffeine addiction be sure to check out the author’s downloadable strategy. This proven system will help you quit caffeine without losing your mind in the process
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Caffeine addiction is no small matter. Many people scoff that it’s “just a little coffee habit” and then find out very quickly when trying to quit that a caffeine dependency is a serious challenge.
In fact if you underestimate the serious nature of your addiction your odds of success are greatly decreased. If you are not fully prepared for the challenge ahead of you, once the withdrawal starts to really kick in you’ll be ready to give up.
So the first thing you need to do is accept the fact that your coffee habit is a real addiction. This is absolutely something you can handle just don’t make the mistake of expecting it to be easy.
Once you’re dialed in to the right frame of mind it’s a good idea to find a replacement product to help ease the transition into a caffeine free lifestyle. Some people use decaf coffee for this but you’d be better off with an herbal supplement like Ginseng or Hawthorne.
The problem with decaffeinated brew is it’s actually worse for you than standard coffee. Many of the chemicals used to extract the caffeine are quite harsh and some have been dubbed carcinogenic – or cancer causing!
As a long-term plan ridding your system of caffeine so you can then fill it with cancer-causing solvents is not recommended. If you feel strongly that decaf can help you through the first couple of weeks fine, just be sure to stick with your initial timeline and don’t keep drinking it for an extended period.
Stimulant
herbs like those mentioned above will give you a natural lift and promote increased energy without any negative side-effects. Of course you should ask your doctor if you are healthy enough to use herbal supplements just to be on the safe side.
In addition to using a replacement drink to lessen the strain of change, you can apply the half-hour push technique to strengthen your psychological resolve. When your body goes into withdrawal and you feel a strong need for your substitute beverage, wait another half hour and focus your awareness on how your body feels during this 30 minutes.
Be mindful of the fact that you made it through the small delay and congratulate yourself for showing this kind of resolve. On a psychological level this simple exercise will give you an extraordinary boost of confidence.
Another very easy but incredibly effective technique is to change your morning routine. If you have become accustomed to having your coffee in the kitchen, start having your substitute (or nothing at all) on the back porch.
Even change procedures not seemingly related to your caffeine intake. For instance, change the order of your morning activities slightly; if you used to shower first and then brush your teeth start doing it backwards.
The idea of a routine change is to disrupt familiar patterns and give your mind something new to focus on. Stepping into an entirely new pattern will take your mind off the withdrawal and significantly reduce cravings.
You’ll find a large part of your quitting caffeine is the mind game. Master this and you’ve won the battle.
In fact if you underestimate the serious nature of your addiction your odds of success are greatly decreased. If you are not fully prepared for the challenge ahead of you, once the withdrawal starts to really kick in you’ll be ready to give up.
So the first thing you need to do is accept the fact that your coffee habit is a real addiction. This is absolutely something you can handle just don’t make the mistake of expecting it to be easy.
Once you’re dialed in to the right frame of mind it’s a good idea to find a replacement product to help ease the transition into a caffeine free lifestyle. Some people use decaf coffee for this but you’d be better off with an herbal supplement like Ginseng or Hawthorne.
The problem with decaffeinated brew is it’s actually worse for you than standard coffee. Many of the chemicals used to extract the caffeine are quite harsh and some have been dubbed carcinogenic – or cancer causing!
As a long-term plan ridding your system of caffeine so you can then fill it with cancer-causing solvents is not recommended. If you feel strongly that decaf can help you through the first couple of weeks fine, just be sure to stick with your initial timeline and don’t keep drinking it for an extended period.
Stimulant
In addition to using a replacement drink to lessen the strain of change, you can apply the half-hour push technique to strengthen your psychological resolve. When your body goes into withdrawal and you feel a strong need for your substitute beverage, wait another half hour and focus your awareness on how your body feels during this 30 minutes.
Be mindful of the fact that you made it through the small delay and congratulate yourself for showing this kind of resolve. On a psychological level this simple exercise will give you an extraordinary boost of confidence.
Another very easy but incredibly effective technique is to change your morning routine. If you have become accustomed to having your coffee in the kitchen, start having your substitute (or nothing at all) on the back porch.
Even change procedures not seemingly related to your caffeine intake. For instance, change the order of your morning activities slightly; if you used to shower first and then brush your teeth start doing it backwards.
The idea of a routine change is to disrupt familiar patterns and give your mind something new to focus on. Stepping into an entirely new pattern will take your mind off the withdrawal and significantly reduce cravings.
You’ll find a large part of your quitting caffeine is the mind game. Master this and you’ve won the battle.