As someone who listens to podcasts a lot and learns from them, I stumbled upon an amazing idea from Tim Ferriss (https://tim.blog/). He advocates for 30-day challenges to either adopt new habits or quit old ones. Inspired by this, I decided to incorporate this approach into my New Year’s resolution.

As someone who has been consuming at least 500 mg of caffeine daily—typically through two energy drinks and a coffee—I decided it was time for a change. I don’t like being too dependent on something that makes me feel good, and caffeine had become just that. Even as a caffeine lover, I meticulously planned my consumption: waking up and delaying my first energy drink for 90 minutes (following Andrew Huberman’s advice), having a coffee at 10 AM, and the last energy drink with lunch at 12 PM. But I began to wonder if my constant tiredness, poor sleep, and morning brain fog were due to my caffeine consumption. To find out, I decided to quit caffeine for 30 days.

Week 1: The Struggle Begins

The first week was a total mess. Every single one of my brain cells seemed to be screaming for just one energy drink. I had a stash of them left in the fridge, but I resisted. I didn’t want to ruin my experiment before it had even begun. One immediate change I noticed was that I could fall asleep much easier at night, which was a welcome relief. However, I felt incredibly sleepy upon waking up, and this drowsiness persisted throughout the day.

Days 10-13: The Turning Point

By the 10th day, something shifted. I woke up and felt, for the first time, genuinely refreshed. It was as if my body was saying, “Yeah, it was a good night’s sleep, and I’m ready to rock.” This feeling was amazing. I used to rely on caffeine to feel this way, but now it was happening naturally. It reminded me of my undergraduate days when I could study for over 12 hours without any caffeine, probably due to being younger and full of energy.

Beyond Day 13: A New Normal

After that turning point, falling asleep and waking up became much easier. I consistently woke up seven hours later with a completely refreshed mind. This newfound clarity and energy in the morning were things I used to achieve with caffeine, but now they were part of my natural rhythm.

Conclusion: Life After Caffeine

I now advise everyone to try this 30-day challenge and experience the effects for themselves. While I still love coffee, I’ve decided to drink it only occasionally when I go out with friends. I no longer crave it like I used to. This challenge has shown me that I can feel alert and energized without relying on caffeine, and that’s a powerful realization.

Try it out and let me know what you think.