I’ve cut down my coffee drinking. I used to drink ten cups a day - well, ten mugs, really. I used to associate my coffee drinking with working. Anytime that I had a task that I was procrastinating about, I would get a cup of coffee. It was my “on” switch, a physical reminder that it was time to get cracking.
My addiction started in college, and just got worse when I landed my first job. The building we were in had no cafeteria, and I used to buy coffee twice a day from a coffee truck that served the industrial park. The receptionist used to announce it’s arrival over the PA system. I can remember going through caffeine withdrawal whenever I got stuck in a meeting when the roach coach arrived.
Things really started to get out of control at a later job, where coffee was free! I thought that I hit the jackpot. But I was getting more agitated with every cup that I drank, and I eventually would hit the candy machine for a snack to go with my java. When I started my current job, one of the first things that I did was scope out the cafeteria hours. Much to my chagrin, the cafeteria closed at 2 pm, so I had to plan my coffee trips accordingly.
About two years ago, in an effort to gain some control over myself, I started bringing in green teabags from home as a substitute. This brought me down to about five cups of coffee a day (two when I woke up, one for the ride to work, and two after dinner). I kept to this ration until this past September, where I cut down to three cups a day.
I can report that I’m no worse for wear. I’m drinking more water than ever, and I’ve even cut out the green tea. I’ve stopped my association of coffee and snacks with working, and my productivity has increased. I bet some of my former coworkers would never believe the change in me, as it seemed that I was always holding a cup of coffee.
I unexpected benefit came from my addiction reduction: I’m saving about $25 a week, and over $1,000 a year, by not buying coffee at work. I’m still working on giving it up completely, which is my ultimate goal.
What addictions have you given up in the past year?
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