I love coffee! As a young child, I remember sneaking in sips of Irish coffee my parents served to guests after dinner in little white Danish cups with saucers! As a teen, hazelnut coffee brewing in the kitchen was a staple. I routinely downed 20 oz caffè mochas in college before Starbucks was even a thing! And recently, this Mama would smile before bed just thinking of her morning cup of Joe. Honestly, coffee was part of my identity.
I’m not here to declare coffee is terrible for you. On the contrary, it’s packed with disease-fighting antioxidants! But, if you’re a wee bit curious about how to upgrade your morning coffee, decrease your daily dependency, or wean off coffee completely, keep reading. From one coffee lover to another, you won’t be disappointed. Plus, the strategy I share can be used for any (eh-hem) habit you’d like to upgrade or release.
All habits behaviors are just a means to an end – a vehicle you use to get you what you want. We all have practices that move us in the direction of our desired results and also those pesky patterns that clearly keep us stuck from moving forward. To free yourself from habits that are no longer serving you: get clarity, make a decision, and find a replacement behavior that moves you in the right direction!
I’m not here to declare coffee is terrible for you. On the contrary, it’s packed with disease-fighting antioxidants! But, if you’re a wee bit curious about how to upgrade your morning coffee, decrease your daily dependency, or wean off coffee completely, keep reading. From one coffee lover to another, you won’t be disappointed.
GET CLARITY
Let’s be clear. I wasn’t looking to wean off coffee. It’s Divine how one decision leads to another. I made a decision to do a 4-day cleanse with my friend, co-led by Tony Robbins and Anthony Williams, better known as “the celery juice guy.” That decision led me to the decision to wean off coffee.
“Your decisions shape your destiny.” – Tony Robbins
The cleanse didn’t include coffee, not shocking. So when we headed north to the lakehouse for four days, I left my coffee behind. If you’re even slightly addicted to coffee as I clearly was, I know you’re feeling my pain right now.
Day 01 without coffee was what I expected: cranky, headache, foggy brain, and low energy. However, I didn’t expect the upper leg muscle tension on Days 02, 03, 04, and 05. No matter how much I moved, massaged, or moaned (LOL), my thighs felt like they were continually contracting. If you’ve never experienced this before, let me tell you, it’s not a pleasant feeling.
What amazed me was my friend who had no withdrawal symptoms. None! Nada. She’s not a coffee drinker, but her daily caffeine consumption equaled mine or more! For the first couple of days, when I was jonesing for my morning coffee, she wasn’t missing caffeine at all. Say what?!? The whole juxtaposition begged the question, “Hmmm. Why is that?” Common sense tells me my body was on caffeine coffee overload and painfully let me know it. While her body clearly maintained balance – with or without caffeine.
All decisions start with clarity. My five days of caffeine withdrawal provided painful clarity: I was consuming too much coffee for my health.
“Your decisions shape your destiny.” – Tony Robbins
MAKE A DECISION
For the first few days of the cleanse, I was in denial. I was in pain. I couldn’t envision my life without coffee. This sounds so ridiculous, I know. Yet, you’ve probably experienced something similar, just maybe not over a silly cup of coffee. On the first day without coffee, I was pissed, irritable. On the second and third day, I started mentally bargaining with myself – rationalizing the health benefits of coffee and why I don’t need to change my habit. Ultimately, I could never truthfully settle on coffee being healthy for me. Which got me in a little funk, which I busted through by landing on this truth: I don’t want to be dependent on coffee – that’s pathetic!!!
On day four, I made a decision. Coffee is not my identity. Health is my identity. As I’ve learned from Tony Robbins, your identity is one of the most powerful driving forces in your life. When you reclaim your true identity, you have the opportunity to make powerful new decisions that serve you and others.
“It has a sly habit of slipping in the back door and often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize an opportunity.” – Napoleon Hill
On day four, I made a decision. Coffee is not my identity. Health is my identity. As I’ve learned from Tony Robbins, your identity is one of the most powerful driving forces in your life. When you reclaim your true identity, you have the opportunity to make powerful new decisions that serve you and others.
FIND A REPLACEMENT
When I returned home from the cleanse, I reverted to my morning coffee by day six or seven. True that! However, I drank my lemon/lime water and celery juice beforehand. Progress over perfection, right?
When you want to release a habit that’s been part of your identity, you need two things. First, you need to know what you’re gaining by continuing that behavior. For example, more comfort, variety, importance, connection, love, all of the above? For me, coffee was comfort – something that was consistently there for me every morning. And, as silly as it sounds, I felt a sense of connection as I made it, fresh ground, freshly pressed. It was ceremonial.
So, think about your habit now. What are you gaining by continuing that pesky pattern? Believe me, you wouldn’t still be doing it if it didn’t fulfill a need. Secondly, to release a habit that’s been part of your identity, you need a replacement behavior that moves you in the right direction and at the same time fulfills your need. Humans generally avoid loss. In my case, with coffee, the replacement needed to bring me comfort from certainty I could have it every day. It also had needed to provide a sense of ceremonial connection as I made it. I know that sounds ridiculous, but all change requires brutal honesty. So we must stop hiding.
First, I tried Chaga mushroom tea. I pressed it in my coffee press for sentimental reasons, but it tasted like a bad cup of watery coffee. When I confessed my Chaga struggle during a Live FREE 7-Day Reset, one of the participants messaged me: ‘Have you tried MUD/WTR?” I had forgotten about this healthy coffee alternative! It has 1/7th the caffeine of coffee and tastes incredibly yummy. The cacao, masala chai, cinnamon, and sea salt brilliantly disguise the Chaga and other mushrooms in it! You can make MUD/WTR with coffee or with water. So over a few weeks, I lowered the amount of coffee and increased the amount of water. Bingo! Try a new morning ritual with MUD/WTR if you’re curious. It’s even ceremonial with a frother! Can you see my SMILE? 🙂
It wasn’t until I linked massive pain to coffee that I released the habit for good. All change starts with brutal honesty. Even though I wanted to deny it, there was a part of me that knew coffee was contributing to my digestive dis-ease. And if I could just bridge the temporary pain of change, the ultimate pleasure of digestive ease would be mine. Yes, I really do play these mind games with myself. And yes, they really do work. I’m no longer a coffee drinker. It took me three decades to release coffee. Sometimes, we can have a thick skull, holding on to these pesky patterns that are literally pestering us daily. It’s crazy, but you know it’s true.
What habit right now is holding you back from reaching your next level of vibrant health? If you truly want to release a non-serving pattern, you must be brutally honest with yourself. Then, get clarity, make a decision, and find a replacement. You can do it! Allow it to unfold perfectly for you. It’s downright liberating!!!
#WeAreInThisTogether for #HealthyChange
P.S. If you’re thinking, “Heck no. Give me my coffee!” Settle down – LOL. I hear you. At one point, my husband asked if I had a coffee membership (like a gym membership) to our local coffee roaster! Not kidding. I’m not here to take coffee away from you, promise! If you’re open to upgrading your cup of joe with ease, read Coffee: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!
About the Author: Dr. Sue
Sue McCreadie, MD (aka Dr. Sue), is a Pediatric Physician and Breakthrough Coach for Midlife Mamas. For over two decades, she’s helped thousands achieve vibrant health as a wellness expert. Bringing three daughters into this world, she lost four along the way, and crossed the pregnancy finish line a digestive–hormonal–emotional mess. But, over the following decade, she found a deeper meaning for miscarriages, reclaimed vibrant health, and grew emotional resiliency. Dr. Sue is obsessed with living her soulFULL purpose and helping other growth-minded Mamas do the same. She believes we are in this together to rise up, realize our dreams, and feel fulfilled in every facet of our lives.