Does Giving Up Coffee Make You Happier?

I was famous for my coffee habit. We're talking 20 mile detours in the Rocky Mountains to get a latte and taking a stove-top espresso machine camping.

And I was famous for how good my coffee was - freshly ground organic Colombian beans, brewed just right, with no one refusing a second mug.

It was safe to say I love the stuff.

Then, a few months ago, I decided to do something silly - give up coffee. Why? To see what would happen and whether giving up coffee would make me happier.

I expected the initial withdrawal symptoms - caffeine headaches and energy slumps, plus the usual detox symptoms. But after that I had hoped my energy levels would bounce back and I'd start feeling healthier, happier and generally better for being off the stuff.

The thing is that it didn't quite work out that way!

I managed to avoid most of the detox symptoms by drinking lots of water and fresh juices, but the energy slump went on and on and the impact on my mood was unexpected.

I had read plenty of research that says caffeine (and other coffee ingredients) can be bad for your mood.

For me, it was the other way round.

Absence of coffee was bad for my mood.

The coffee cravings took a full 6 weeks to go - and I didn't even cheat a teeny bit.

And for most of that time, I felt grumpy and miserable, because I was denying myself something I really loved.

"Go back on the coffee, then!" I hear you cry.

It's not as simple as that. Coffee was an addiction for me. But my need for it wasn't physical, it was psychological.

Coffee was tied into an emotional need - like a "badge of honour" whenever things were stressful.

The thing is, if we want to break a habit, it's essential to look at why we had the habit in the first place, not just what the habit is.

We have to deal with the need that the habit was satisfying, otherwise we're just entering into a battle of willpower. And, chances are, the need for a new addiction to another substance or behavior resurfaced.

Once you've worked - and treated - the habit will disappear naturally. Then you are free to choose.

And feel free to be the pivot point for your journey after the happy feeling.