6 Tips for How to Quit Coffee

Drinking coffee isn't all bad. In previous articles I have discussed some of the benefits to be had from this much loved beverage. There are some real dangers with over consumption of coffee though, and for some of us it can be difficult to keep the amount we drink under control. Caffeine is a drug and as such it can be really addictive. For this reason you may be interested in tips for how to quit coffee.

6 Tips for how to quit coffee

- The first thing you need to do is prepare yourself mentally for a few unpleasant days ahead. Your body has become accustomed to having caffeine on board and it is going to rebel to its sudden absence. The withdrawal symptoms can be quite unpleasant with severe headaches and other physical disturbances. You will likely find that your mood is affected and that you are irritable and just can't concentrate; you may even find it difficult to sleep. These symptoms will disappear after about a week. It is probably just best to treat this as a period of sickness that you know won't last forever.

- Some people recommend that you just taper off your coffee usage over a few weeks, but this has never been a method that worked well for me. I find after a day or two that my attempt at reduction has lost its motivation. I personally would recommend going cold turkey and just quitting, but a lot will depend on your personality; some tips for how to quit coffee will work well for one person but not another.

- Set a date for your quit and stick to it. This is something that has worked well for me with other addictions. If you try and make your quit date memorable you are likely to make a serious attempt at ending your addiction.

- Tell your friends and family that you are going to quit coffee. Doing this puts a bit more pressure on you to stick with your decision; you don't want to appear as a failure to the people who know you.

- Give yourself a reward for leaving your caffeine addiction behind. Plan something pleasant if you make it a week without coffee and another reward if you make it to a month.

- Sometimes it is a lot easier if you approach your quit as a positive decision rather than a negative one. What I mean is that instead of thinking that "I'm going to quit coffee" you could say instead, "I'm going to only drink healthy beverages". The mind seems to deal better with positive aspirations.

Hopefully the six tips for how to quit coffee above will work for you. It may take a bit of time to beat your caffeine addiction, but stick at it and you will make it. If you relapse just pick yourself up and try again. Quitting any drug is never easy, but it is always worth it in the end.