My Ugly Breakup With Coffee

The pinching on my left lower abdomen didn’t feel like the tolerable ones I used to flush with a glass of water to disappear. Half a gallon later, and the throbbing sensation did not only worsen, but I am going to die.

I usually have a cup of black coffee in the morning, and it would be my only caffeine serving for the day.

But, there was something about that day that steered away from routine; I had my usual cup of black coffee—an hour later, had a grande Starbucks Americano with extra shot of espresso.

Long story short, I had duodenal gastric acidity.

Imagine a charcoal burning through your intestine.

It’s THAT painful.

Two weeks of medication later, and I’ve decided to quit coffee for good.

It has been six months, and here are the benefits, so far:

Increased focus and productivity

For those who work in the creative space, a simple distraction such as a crowded, smelly bathroom or bumping into a colleague along the way and being forced into a, well, forced conversation, would disturb and restart one’s creative flow.

At the office, I pee every 25 minutes.

It was my body’s reaction to coffee. 

For a while, I thought it was normal.

After quitting coffee, the first three days were the hardest. Had to take meds for the severe migraine the coffee withdrawal had inflicted upon me.

But, productivity was up.

Since I now go to the bathroom once every two hours, I’ve written more content, finished more graphics projects and attended to more social media queries.

Better focus + increased productivity = greater chances of getting a raise

Deep, uninterrupted sleep

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It causes alertness and fleeting liveliness.

Depending on your tolerance, sometimes this alertness could extend to your sleeping time.

It did to mine.

Back then, my sleep was shallower than the beach where poor whales get stranded during low tide.

After quitting coffee for six months, I couldn’t even count up to the 100th sheep before dozing into a wonderful sleep.

Benefits of having quality sleep include better mood, clearer mind, a positive outlook, etc.

Calmer, better stomach

I don’t mistake acid reflux for hunger anymore.

This has resulted to better weight management as back then I would normally eat at the first sign of ‘hunger,’ which in reality is merely ‘acid gas.’

After quitting coffee, meal times were back on schedule. And it jived well with my intermittent fasting (Read).

Do I miss coffee? Hell, yes.

It used to be my saving grace when I was doing early morning shifts, when I couldn’t flush ‘things’ out or when I needed a reason to chill at cafes.

Also, the mere taste of it opens the mind and body to otherworldly wonders.

But in order for us to enjoy other important things in life, like spending more time with family and friends, we must compromise.

Something’s got to go.

So long, espresso.