Tips for Breaking Your Espresso Habit

Millions of Americans are addicted to their caffeine. Coffee and soda are many Americans' favorite sources of caffeine. America's caffeine addiction has led to a billion dollar industry. Starbucks reported their 2008 annual sales to be $10.4 billion dollars. America's caffeine addiction includes pills, energy drinks,and many other products. Espresso is one such product. It is possible to break your espresso habit. Here are some ways to successfully stop your Espresso habit.

Caffeine is a drug. True, caffeine is a legal drug; however, it is a drug none the less. Your body becomes addicted to caffeine. Like any drug, stopping the caffeine habit may not be easy. If you only drink one espresso shot a day then it may not be that difficult. If you down espresso shot after shot then stopping the caffeine habit can be more difficult.

Espresso is no different than any other addiction. Any addiction is connected to a physical or mental need. Smokers often use cigarettes because they are bored or anxious (at least in the beginning). Smoking cigarettes allows them to fill this void. Addiction to Espresso can start as a way to counteract a lack of sleep. After awhile, it becomes harder and harder to function without your morning Espresso. It is important to identify what need Espresso fills for you.

Replace Espresso with a healthier alternative. Healthy Espresso alternatives include 100% fruit juices, tomato juice, or even freshly squeezed orange juice. You do not have to quit cold turkey. If you drink six Espresso shots a day then begin by replacing only one shot. After a few days, replace another Espresso shot. After a while, you will find that you have replaced your Espresso habit. Going slowly will also help to avoid the effects of withdrawal. Replacing Espresso with a healthier alternative is just one part of the equation.

Avoid the situation that causes you to need Espresso. Often, any caffeine addiction is driven by a feeling of being run down. For a large portion of Americans, life is very hectic. They find themselves working late into the night and getting up early in the morning. This leaves them looking for ways to gain more energy. One way to help break the Espresso addiction is to get more sleep. If it was as easy as just "getting more sleep" then you would already be doing it, right?

Often, we are not as busy as we think. We waste time on activities that could be avoided. How much time do you spend watching TV each day? An easy way to tell is to track your day. This simply involves writing down the time you spend on each activity. You do not need to do this forever. If you start this for one week, you will gain a good view of how you spend your time. Look for ways to cut out non-essential activities.

Espresso is one form that a Caffeine addiction may take. Caffeine is drug like any other drug. While Caffeine is a legal drug, an addiction to Caffeine drinks (i.e. Espresso) can have negative health effects. To kick your Espresso habit; identify why you drink Espresso and seek Caffeine drinks, find ways to replace your Espresso shots with an healthy alternative, and work to mitigate your addiction's underlying cause. These steps will help you kick your addiction to Espresso and Caffeine as a whole.

References
Starbucks 2008 Annual Report. n.d. Starbuck.com. Retrieved on December 1, 2009 from http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MTExNzN8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=&t=1