Ahmed Rabea

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?

• 5 Things to Know About Social Security Photo by alan(ator) Yahoo! Finance recently published a guide to the five most common questions about Social Security benefits.  You can read the original article by clicking on the following link: What You Need to Know About Social Security Given all of the doubt that the entitlement program will......
• Roasted to Death Photo by lightmatter A recent Yahoo! News article brought to light the hardships of California's farm workers.  You can read the original article here.  A lawsuit is underway due to the deaths by heatstroke of five farm workers.  The core body temperature of one guy was 108 degrees!  So......
• Productivity Tip: Three Things to Do Before You Leave the Office I've gotten into a good routine over the past several years: I do three things before I leave the office for home. What are these magical tips? Whatever you want them to be. There's no magic here, just some end-of-the-day maintenance. You don't have to accomplish anything difficult or elaborate.......
• Don't Graduate College During a Recession An article at WallStreetJournal.com delivers some bad news: college graduates from the Class of 2009 face a tough road in their new careers.  Not only will they be entering the toughest labor market in 25 years, but they will suffer lower wages for a decade or more than those who......
• Down to One Cup of Coffee Gunjan Karun I'm almost there.  I'm down to one cup of coffee per day.  What a long day it is!  I'm almost ready to break the caffeine addiction that started in high school.  But I have a feeling that I'll stick to the one cup for a little while,......

• Top Ten Ways to Deal with Anger In managing my own expectations, upsets, frustration or anger...I have come to realize that the issue is not with anyone else.  The issue is with me. I choose to get frustrated or upset.  I choose to be angry.  The other person, especially my husband, did not make me angry.  Blaming......
• Easy Antidotes for Menstrual Cramps If you are suffering from menstrual cramps, then the truth is that you are likely suffering needlessly. Here is a handful of antidotes that will help you alleviate your menstrual cramps once and for all. No longer do you need to suffer from those terrible pains during that special time......
• Search Engine Optimization:Tips For Domination The goal of ever website owner is to have their site in the first page of the organic search results for their targeted keywords. There is a ton of information (myth's) on the Internet about SEO and everybody has their own opinion; these are a few of mine. In this......
• true rates I get paid on an hourly rate, and one of the things I do obsessively these days is try to figure out what sort of hourly rate I would need to generate as a freelancer. There are a million imponderables, of course - different rates for different tasks, different rates......
• Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to......