As I have expressed before, I love coffee. For me, it’s a great way to start my morning, and I enjoy the bitter taste, as well as sipping it while my neurons begin to wake up.

However, coffee has some disadvantages. It stains your teeth and disrupts your sleep, among others (it also has benefits). It’s the first disadvantage that I mentioned, the one that gave me trouble recently. Keep reading to find out why someone as addicted to coffee as I am would quit it.

Why in the world would anyone (especially me) give up coffee?

In 2021, I had to undergo a root canal treatment in my right front tooth because of an abscess I had (funny fact, the abscess started after I burned my gums with a hot cheeseburger). Either the treatment or the abscess left me with a darker tooth.

You can see the difference between my right front tooth before and after. Although it wasn’t very evident in person, it was noticeable in the photos. I grew self-conscious, and finally, this year I took the leap and scheduled a treatment.

There was no pain, all was good, but then when they were closing up the tooth with the treatment inside, the Endodontist broke the bad news to me: “You can’t drink coffee for a week”. I was expecting not drinking it for one hour, maybe two… but ONE WEEK?! It sounded like a nightmare, and it was. The worst part is that coffee was not the only forbidden staple, as I couldn’t get any dark sodas, tea, or chocolate (doctor’s orders).

Chronicles of a coffee-less week.

So this was my caffeine-less week:

• Wednesday: The day of the treatment. I had my morning coffee before going, so it wasn’t so bad.
• Thursday: Grumpiness starts to appear. I couldn’t focus and had no motivation. I slept 14 hours because I felt exhausted.
• Friday: It seems I might be getting better, but then I get a migraine. I slept a lot again.
• Saturday: The morning doesn’t seem so horrible now. I go run some errands, get some groceries, and go to a burger place my boyfriend loves. I forget about my commitment and drink a Diet Coke.
  • The caffeine kicks in; I feel so happy, as if I can accomplish anything. I study a bit. However, the night arrives, and I’m restless. I can’t sleep. It’s a terrible night.
• Sunday: Similar to Thursday, but the withdrawal doesn’t hit as bad this time. I forget about my restrictions again and have a bit of white tea (the food was spicy, so I like to think I’m justified).
• Monday: Starting the week without my morning coffee sucked, but at least I didn’t have any migraine.
• Tuesday: I’m happy because it’s just one more day without coffee. I don’t feel the withdrawal.

Yes, I know. I failed to quit caffeine and colored beverages because I forgot twice. Still, the withdrawal symptoms were real, as I used to prepare a cup of dark coffee with milk in the morning, sometimes another one around 12 pm, and even drank tea or soda at lunch some days (sometimes even at dinner). Did this week not count? I think it partially did.

Good news for me, coffee was on my allowed list again 😀

Once the next Wednesday arrived, I went to the dentist, and they told me the tooth had responded nicely, closed it up, and there I was, able to drink coffee again (although the dentist highly recommended against it).

I made a cup of coffee for myself once I arrived home, drank it happily, and all seemed normal, but something had changed inside me. I realized how much of my tiredness and exhaustion is masked by my caffeine intake.

So now I’m preparing a lighter coffee in the mornings during the weekdays, and I’m not preparing myself coffee on the weekends (although if someone offers it, who am I to reject such a nice gesture?!). So far, I have been sleeping more deeply during the weekdays, and even more so on weekends. Every time I slip (because, of course, I do), I become restless and remember why I committed to reducing my caffeine intake in the first place. I may need an accountability partner to keep me on track regarding my coffee-less weekend (?).

This concludes my little tale of how I had to quit drinking coffee, how I failed for two days, and how it ultimately changed me. Have you had the misfortune of having to stop drinking coffee all of a sudden? Why? Let me know in the comments.

About the Author:
I’m Astrid, a biologist who made a career shift to become a virtual assistant and an accountability partner. My journey from the world of science to customer service and freelancing has given me a unique perspective on life, and I sometimes share it here on WordPress.

Do you need a capable and reliable accountability partner? Contact me on Fiverr or LinkedIn.