B.E.D.A 2018: Day Three

Hello again everyone, and welcome to B.E.D.A 2018: Day Three.

CAFFEINE

Today I’m going to talk about something that was the subject of one of my first ever posts way back in 2015 – CAFFEINE.

I am going to split this into three sections;

THEN – What it was like when I was drinking caffeine

QUITTING IT – My journey to giving it up

NOW – What it feels like now I’m completely off it

THEN

Looking back to where I was less than four years ago, I would say that I was, like a lot of young people, addicted to caffeine.

I was getting through so much of it every single day. On average this is how much I was taking per 24 hours

·         Between 1 and 3 cups of tea (I’m British, what do you expect?)

·         1 or 2 energy drinks

·         1 latte (once or twice a week)

·         An entire 2 litre bottle of Coke/Pepsi – yes, the whole bottle in less than 24 hours and some days I would exceed this

Even one of these things could be considered excessive, particularly the fizzy drink consumption, but this is an absolutely colossal amount for one person in just a single day. With all of this in mind, it is no wonder I was suffering from the following as a result of my caffeine intake.

·         High anxiety

·         Mood swings

·         Trouble sleeping

·         Inability to settle down even when tired

It is clear to me now that I was in a cycle which I’ve since realised that many people are in and struggle to get out of.

QUITTING CAFFEINE

I had one night when my mood was so low and I knew that it was partly down to the caffeinated drinks. Once I’d had this epiphany, I knew that it was time to stop. I poured what I had left down the sink and made a vow to get off it.

If only it were that simple. As with any addiction, there are two main methods for getting off it.

Weaning – Slowly reduce your intake over a period of time and get your body used to the idea of being without it during this time. Often regarded as the safest method, this can take weeks or months to complete.

Cold Turkey – This is the total removal of it from your system immediately. You basically go from taking the amount you were taking down to absolutely zero in one step. This can be the quickest way of getting away from an addiction but is more difficult and more dangerous because your body goes into shock at not having this substance it has been used to for such a long time. It can lead to severe reactions and as I said come with a greater risk but takes a lot less time to work.

I chose cold turkey, but this is something you should check out before doing because it isn’t always safe.

Within days of completely quitting caffeine and letting it get out of my system, I slept better than I had in a long time. I felt at ease with the world and calmer than I had in ages. My anxiety went down, I felt so much happier.

By no means was it that easy to stop myself buying caffeine. After all, the temptation was sill all around me. In the shops, in public places, when I was with friends, I craved it and it took a long time for these cravings to disappear entirely. There were side-effects during the first month to two months as well. I had headaches a lot, I was more tired more often, but overall, I was better off without it.

NOW

This was back in late 2014, and since then, things have changed hugely.

Unlike back then, I can now sleep undisturbed through the entire night.

The mood swings I used to have have nearly all gone.

I don’t crave caffeinated drinks anymore.

I feel more tired, but I know that it’s a natural thing to feel this way and to not be artificially waking myself up is a relief.

I can say now, three and a half years later, that I have no need whatsoever of caffeine and I am happier without it.

An important thing to remember is that you can’t function at your best if you don’t sleep properly.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep every night and not to fight it if you feel tired. If your body is telling you to sleep, then listen to it. Don’t try to stay up later if you are worn out.

Go to sleep and get enough of it so that you can be the best person you can.

SONGS OF 2008: 56 AND 55

Now it’s back to my countdown of my favourite songs from 2008.

At 56, we have a song that has since become a favourite wedding song. This is Take That and Greatest Day.

At 55, it is a cover version of a Snow Patrol track. I love both versions (I’ve put the original as a bonus if you want to compare the two) but this is the one that took it to the top of the charts a decade ago. Here is Leona Lewis with Run.

56	Take That Greatest Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHzMLGH1Rfs
55	Leona Lewis Run https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqpAgMxhx30
Bonus Track	Snow Patrol Run https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOBs8dU4Pb8

And that’s the end of part 3 of BEDA.

If you want to keep up to date with me, you can follow me on social media (TrentBlogs on all platforms).

The next part of this month-long challenge will be up tomorrow. Until then, keep positive, keep smiling, and above all, keep believing!