* One Year Without Caffeine

People who used to drink caffeine are annoying. I should know.

The last time I had a caffeinated drink was a year ago. That’s right, I have been caffeine-free for one year. I also once went over a year between haircuts, with dramatically different results.

I went from drinking 4-5 cups of coffee per day to zero. Why? I had a nasty case of bronchitis a year ago and my doctor recommended staying off caffeine because it would dehydrate me. I never went back on.

Now I drink an assortment of caffeine-free herbal teas and an occasional cup of decaf coffee. For the first few days after I quit, I had headaches, but those are long gone. I no longer need a cup of coffee in the afternoon to give me that extra boost. On the rare occasions when I do need a pick-me-up, I’ll have a protein bar or a piece of fruit.

I used to enjoy my morning cup of coffee with my email, especially in the winter. But now I’ve found that what I really like is a hot cup of something to warm me up. It wasn’t the caffeine that I enjoyed.

People have long debated the importance (or lack thereof) of caffeine. The January 2005 cover story for National Geographic was about the world’s obsession with coffee <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/coffee/>. Is it helpful? Harmful? All I know is that I feel better without drinking coffee. And I think that’s all that matters for me.

What I do miss, somewhat, is the social aspect of drinking coffee. I’m surprised how much I notice the “hey let’s get together for coffee” remarks or “can I get you a cup of coffee?” questions when I’m visiting clients or friends. Should I go into the long explanation? Or will a short one suffice? What are the chances this restaurant has decaf tea? I often meet clients (or prospective clients) when I’m at the coffee shop. So the occasional cup of decaf is good in at least one way.

I could bore you with my many opinions on the varieties of herbal teas, why you should consider quitting caffeine, how much money you’ll save by quitting, etc. But, trust me, people who used to drink caffeine are annoying. I should know.