Why I Quit Caffeine (as a software developer)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มิ.ย. 2024
- I quit drinking coffee and all forms of caffeine 1 year ago and it changed my life...
00:00 Why Quit?
01:14 Caffeine Withdrawal
02:30 Decaf Benefits
02:59 How Caffeine Affects the Brain
References:
thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_... - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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I also quit caffeine, now I'm doing amphetamine
😂😂 that escalates quickly
Same. I have ADHD. I've never been happier and more productive.
@@realPidge amphetamine is good stuff in moderation, turns me into a normal person with extra productivity
yep same i quit caffeine becuase i found modafinil
@@jayseagal3681 Modafinil messed me up. And doesn’t really help with attention
Pro tip: Caffeine or not, drink loads of water. Can't stress this enough, but keep your bottle nearby. 😉
Yeah, one thing for sure is to keep your bottle nearby. I've noticed that when I try to drink water from glasses I never drink enough. Bottles keep me motivated and I can easily track how much I have already drank.
Animals dont drink water every 5 minutes, too much water can deplate you from nutrients. It's better to drink more water at once then 10 times in small amounts
I always feel thirsty
Yes water is the ultimate balancer when it comes to regulating your body and metabolism
Too much water may be bad for you too, 2-3 liters max ... (of course this depends on your body needs)
Super cool to see you talking about this! This "put coffee into programmer > receive code" meme/idea is pretty widespread. A friend once quit coffee and this one sentence from him got me real deep:
"without coffee, you're just always awake."
It was originally German and I just translated "wach" to "awake" here. But in German I think in contrast to English it doesn't just mean "not sleeping" but also "not sleepy"
without coffee, you're just never awake is the true sentence
@@clean280with coffee you're always woke - Americans
_me as I watch this whilst drinking coffee_ : interesting
you are not alone
now I will have anxiety knowing that I should quit coffee xD
Maybe you don't have to quit coffee, Just caffeinated coffee.
What the purpose then, just quit the whole thing
@@CLtech05 never!
I started drinking decaf about 9 months ago. I was tired for about a month but it’s good now again! My anxiety is not gone. And I also don’t need coffee when I wake up. I make decaf because of the placebo effect of the taste and smell. It makes me feel productive and ready to code.
is not decaf coffee even worse than caf for your health?
Anxiety is no joke, do everything you can to help yourself naturally. I had a panic attack and anxiety for years. I absolutely refused to take the mental pills the doctor prescribed. Instead, I got healthy naturally. This was one way but physical exercise, spiritual health and good diet had more impact. I’ve been anxiety free for years now and have been enjoying my daily coffee since. But I definitely don’t drink as much caffeine as I used to.
You go to the psychiatrist, he prescribes these mental pills. You go to the dermatologist, he prescribes a skin treatment with laser that costs one thousand dollars. I had anxiety and cystic acne in my face, no doctor asked me about caffeine intake. I gave up drinking coffee and my anxiety and skin problems were over. Shit doctors and shit caffeine.
@@alexandrebalaciano4206 The problem is a psychiatrist has nothing to do with a psychologist. You go there to get your prescription. Talk to a therapist and I'm 200% sure he will tell you to give up excessive caffeine and even will help you with withdrawal. I will repeat again. This is not psychiatrist responsibility to solve one's psychological issues with tools like therapy or guidelines.
@@MachinesTakingOverTheWorld Ya, because their business is therapy and they don't want to lose a client. Nobody should waste money and time on them.
My anxiety and panic attacks cured me of ever drinking coffee again. I switched to hot chocolate (but I still love the smell of coffee). I'm proud to have kicked the habit - it took about 3 months.
Same here. More exercises (especially in the forest) and healthy diet can really help with anxiety
I quit caffeine in September 2019 and it's the best decision I had made in a long time. I:
- sleep better
- remember my dreams way more often
- consistent energy throughout the day (no peaks or troughs)
- wake up not feeling tired
The headache and brain fog I had quitting was pretty bad though, couldn't focus for a while.
I actually have more dreams after i learn a ton of stuff. So it could be that you are just learning more or that you are having a lighter sleep. The more I learn the wackier the dream is too.
Why should remembering the dreams be a sign of improvement? While my mentality (i had emotional issues in teen age) has been improving I have been remembering less and less dreams and now I remember almost zero.
I consume weak black tea if that matters but my consumption did not change over many years.
"I'm not a rocket surgeon" - Jeff Delaney, highly intelligent expert developer, 2021
Look up "rocket surgery". It's an old joke
"i am retarded" - Jeff Delaney, not a provider of medical advice, 2021
I recently had the same thing happen. After years of drinking tea and coffee regularly all of the sudden I had symptoms never experienced before: extreme anxiety, PVC heart palpitations, dizziness, confusion, panic attacks, and spike headaches. I went to my primary care to set up plans to see if my heart was failing, instead she told me to get off caffeine. I was confused, having had it all my life with no problems, but followed her advice. I went cold turkey, and the following week most of the symptoms were already gone. A few weeks later the fog cleared and I felt better. Anxiety is gone, energy is up, PVCs are gone.
Going decaffeinated in moderation now.
If you're wondering, I was dring 2 double espressos a day. 1 after breakfast, 1 after dinner. Not a lot IMO.
This has been my experience as well. I did 1/4 cup of extremely strong black coffee every day but that was enough to put me through this exact situation. It's the worst feeling and as much as i love my coffee I quit immediately. I was at the cardiologist even thinking something is going wrong with me. Experienced depression, anxiety and panic attacks all in one. I bought a bottle of decaf and one day I'd try it. As for now...... I'm staying far away till I am completely better
I really recognize myself in the "extremely unmotivated" part. The demotivation I experience on a caffeine withdrawal is insane. It's like all minor tasks, such as putting a plate inside the dishwasher or checking my mail, become super overwhelming. It has made me realize how much our hormones (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, etc) actually matter in terms of wellbeing. It has also managed to give me a small glimpse into how a normal day for a depressed person might feel like.
Thanks a lot for talking about your real struggle when quitting. I had someone close to me that tried to quit and I never really understood how hard it really is. I love how you're not just using this as a way to get views but also to help impact peoples' lives positively. Wish you all the best of course, thank you
Wait is the just the creator of fireship on TH-cam? Did youtube recommendation actually did something useful? This is awesome!
Fasting is excellent to feel like really, really calm.
I did the same thing. I quit caffeine about two years ago. I feel much better
Me too
I quit 3 years ago and now whenever I drink caffeine, I run the risk of getting a headache. I realized I need to listen to my body when it comes to energy levels and actually rest when I'm tired instead of masking it with coffee.
i have 3 spoons of caffeine no milk no sugar and low amount of water 😬addiction
I usually don't drink coffee, but when I do I have a headache. Looks like a side effect of caffeine?
Almost 3 years too lets go
I once made a huge mistake of drinking black coffee before an interview... I thought I will be energetic and focused but it gave me so much anxiety that I couldn't even talk properly. I was not selected and that only amplified my anxiety and anger.
Usually happens if you didn't drink coffee often, then you drink multi shot of coffee once
_It's a blessing in disguise so you can dodge corporate slavery and join the new rich!_
Same thing happened to me..
I quit caffeine cold Turkey in 1998. After 2 weeks of headaches I woke up with better memory, focus, and Zen like calm. So much happier now.
I already had depression and anxiety before I started drinking coffee. 1 year in and nothings changed. Not gonna stop drinking coffee ☕️
Caffeine sucks
I love obnoxiousCat!!!!!!! Preach
@@alanperez7657 insightful
@Thingonometry thanks man
Pro tip:
- dilute down your coffee
- only take small sip , and squeeze & maximize productivity out of that sip
- make 1 coffee last a day, that's why you sip it, and not drink it
- 2nd coffee is a big no
- stop drinking coffee 5+ hours before sleep
Didn‘t caffeine had a half-life of 5-6 hours? So that would mean don't drink caffeine 10-12 hours before sleep
@@iclonethefirst yes, unfortunately.
but, we often don't have the extra 10-12 hours to wait for the coffee effect to disappear,
That's why i write 5+ hours,
The more the better because coffee can make you insomnia and losing sleeps
I respect you, that you share these personal issues with us! I think these kind of videos help a lot of us 🥺
Nice to see some reinforcement! It's important to note that chai (tea) has a similar effect. I quit on Jan 1st this year and went back to it (once) 45 days after quitting. Hated it and never looked back. I've experience similar benefits after quitting -
1. Mental clarity
2. Emotional stability
3. Much better digestive health
4. Better, more restful sleep (feel fantastic after waking up)
5. Improved learning (related to point #4)
6. Grater consistency in all areas of life (projects, relationships. see points #1 and #2)
Some people say it's good for your health, others say it's bad.
But all I can tell you it's I'm never going back.
Thank you Jeff for this delightful rap.
You'd be hard pressed to find a single person that says they felt healthier whilst drinking coffee on a daily basis compared to how they felt after they quit (once they've gotten through the initial withdrawals obviously).
read the comment the second he started saying that
Glad it worked for you and thank you for sharing your story, it's not easy to talk about personal stuff like this, but it always helps someone in the same situation and with billions of people around the world, you're never really alone no matter what you're dealing with
I quit because it started having the opposite affect on me. It was making me super tired, sick feeling, etc. I quit and feel significantly better. I still occasionally drink tea but not coffee.
Tea has l theanine and caffeine in it. L theanine has a relaxing effect but when combined with caffeine it can give u energy without the jitters or sickness. This is probably what you experienced with coffee.
Yes, I've noticed dizziness from caffeine. And I thought it was just vertigo
It's great to have you tackle subjects that are outside of the development sphere. There are so many potential topics I'd love to hear your vieww on. It's always a breath of fresh air to watch your videos!
Bro, you’re awesome! I think the same. When i quit coffee i started dreaming again, having way better sleep and could keep on coding way more hours cause i didn’t have the crash anymore. If you pair it with exercises then you become a machine feeling good all the time!
Honestly man the way you work your craft in itself is an incredible inspiration to me. You seriously be putting batter pack on my back!!! Appreciate you man!!!!
I’ve had exactly the same experience as you. I treat it like alcohol now, and occasionally have some tea and decaf coffee expecting it to ruin my day.
Same
Had a sip of Green Tea my girlfriend left from breakfast, mood ruined for the day basically
@@blyaticon8190 I would be really concerned about my mental health if a sip of tea had such unfathomably strong emotional effect on me
Great video! I’d recommend adding meditation in the morning to start the day calm and focused. That way when the anxieties of the day creep up you’re able to detach yourself from it a bit easier.
Quit over a year and a half ago, at the start of covid. Greatest decision of my life. My focus and overall energy levels are far superior to what they once were. Like yourself, I've encountered horrible anxiety throughout my adult life. By quitting coffee, alcohol (unfortunately), and moving from a big city to a smaller one, my anxiety levels have decreased by ten fold, no drugs needed. It's not completely "gone", but it's much much better.
I am a developer as well and I am careful not to develop a dependency on anything. I drink coffee every once in a while just because I enjoy it.
Nothing beats getting adequate sleep.
Stay healthy Jeff! Thanks for all your videos and effort!
really glad to know the anxiety is gone, man ❤️ thanks for sharing
Best verse of the year
Some say it's good some say it's bad but I am never going back. - Jeff
Me either
Happy you feel better!
Youre a huge inspiration and one of my influences to quiting coffee. Thank you for all the content you make!
I love the way you present information 💚
Visually - Concise - Hilarious - Relatable
quitting caffeine was one of the best things that I did. I realized how much raw energy I really had and I didn’t need caffeine to function every day
Been thinking the same too.
I’m actually surprised but I’m trying to quit too. Apparently it speeds up the age of your skin too. Meaning you’ll get wrinkles earlier on.
Thank you . I believe that is the speech I needed exactly now !
Thank You For Being Straight Forward.
Good video, however I'd like to point out a few things - we actually have a great understanding of how Caffeine works (compared to most drugs at least). The main reason for anxiety is a combination of the increased epinephrine (as you mentioned), however it also lowers levels of GABA (brains natural anti anxiety chemical, drugs such as Xanax/Alcohol increase GABA). The dopamine part you got kinda wrong, it's only a dopamine reuptake inhibitor (as you mentioned) which leads to gradual increase of dopamine, but takes 2-4 weeks for noticeable change (same how SSRI antidepressants take a few weeks because they block reuptake, not directly release it), while drugs such as Meth/Cocaine directly release dopamine causing that rush and addiction.
cool little side fact not many people know about coffee: it contains a chemical called 4-cql (4-Caffeoyl-1,5-quinide) which reversely binds to your opioid receptors, and can reverse things such as a heroin OD if narcan isn't around
I listen to your channel regularly, and I am also a software dev. My coffee drinking peaked at 270ml of espresso per day, and 3 days ago I decided I need to stop. Ive always had problems with anxiety, but that wasn't even my main driver. The main reason is that Im sick of feeling happy/optimistic about life when i reach my daily happy dosage of caffeine (which over the years just creeps up and up like with all drugs), and just really pessimistic and not great by the end of the day or when I haven't had enough coffee. I just want to feel more level.
Im really struggling though, day 3 right, and how i got to this video was looking for some validation its even possible to write code without coffee, as ever since I started my career ive been highly caffinated.. So thank you for making this video, I really needed this validation right now.
This was a very interesting video. Thanks for making it and sharing your experience. I've long had to deal with my own anxiety and depression issues, and it's had a big off and on impact on my work. I've long felt I needed coffee to have any sort of productivity, though I've done several experiments going off it for a few weeks at a time. Your description of coming back to normal productivity without the anxiety after about 3 months or so is really fascinating. I may have to give this experiment another go.
I really appreciate this video. You do good work and you are a rocket surgeon.
Brother this is the way to educate people like me! Great advice and easy to understand information.
Watching your videos on your other channel. You are amazing teacher and quite humorous. Enjoyed learned. Thanks!
Thank you for going through the experience and making the video.
It felt like you were telling my story for a moment there, great video
great channel management. I love listening to you talking about your personal activities as a person and not as a profession.
Thanks for sharing your story, as many including myself feel why i am not able to code, feel depressed or anxiety, truth is it happens, your productivity can't be constant. Some days you do nothing and somedays create and learn alot.
Very surprised by the video quality, great content!
The way you’ve done this video is fantastic 👍🏻
I quit coffee 5 days ago. Still have some head aches but the anxiety and panic attacks are already gone. Im already sold on staying off it, just have to get through the next little while
Sounds like you're gonna hit the depressed and low energy phase. Good luck.
Keep it up, took me a few months to feel normal, exercise helps.
Good on you. I have a cafeïne addiction in the form of CokeCola consumption. Hotter climate, same bad side effects, especially from the sugar. Stay strong, success stories are ultimately motivation to emulate. So keep us in the loop!
I quit caffeine last October cold turkey. I was off it for 4 months until February rolled around and I had school (in addition to wanting to wake up early). I also am a runner, which added an additional excuse. Long story short, I relapsed into insane coffee consumption. I am back in the process of quitting (I cold turkeyed 2 weeks ago and then started drinking coffee again), and I feel really depressed but I am down to no caffeine whatsoever. I'm tired, but I will make it through this, and I know now that the excuses are lies.
Great video, I like what you do on this channel please keep working on videos of this kind, speak about what things/concepts have improved your life. I have also stopped drinking coffee at the end of December. And I feel so much better.
I stopped drinking coffee about 6 months ago because I had experienced chest pains due to a high blood pressure. I felt my chest tightening whenever I drank coffee early in the morning. Thought I was having a heart attack tbh. Now I only drink tea but without caffeine of course and it’s so much better. I feel great and yes it was tough for the first days/weeks but it’s for the better.
I guess everyone reacts differently. I was also drinking multiple cups of coffee for a decade, and often caffeinated energy drinks too, I quit because I wanted higher quality sleep. Had no withdrawal symptoms, and was not an issue to stop at all. Started feeling more awake during the day almost immediately. Also never caused any anxiety for me.
I quit this year, too! I'm never go back! Thanks for sharing this video!
I really liked this minimalistic video style
I'm now motivated to quit caffeine
Nice. Didn't know you had a second channel. I have also been thinking about quitting caffeine. Let's go!
this is the best video I watched about it, thanks. I was able to leave caffeine for years using decaf. I am back on it now.
Came straight from your IA videos to this one. I've been lowering my caffeine consuption last days, and I'm thinking about quitting it entirely now.
Just like I quit Coca-Cola a decade ago, I hope I'm able to do so with caffeine, and also help my anxiety.
Thanks for sharing.
Amen Jeff! I too quit after a couple of panic attacks and I read that something like 250mg injection of caffeine will induce a panic attack in most people. I drink hot chocolate instead - and it was the perfect transition from coffee to hot chocolate. I have never had anxiety from drinking hot chocolate (it has about 10% of the caffeine of 1 cup of coffee). Dark chocolate 70%+ and a lot can induce anxiety so take it easy on the quantity. Cheers.
Thank you for sharing this with us
I really appreciated this video. It's great to know there's other people out there that react negatively to caffeine. I didn't get into caffeine until I was 18 but now I'm 24 and always feel anxious and sluggish when I have caffeine. Thankfully I don't have more than 150 mg a day but it's clear that I need to quit for good. Time to quit cold turkey 🦃
This channel is super underrated!
i have been a big fan of this style of teaching from Fireship. Been wondering of this same style is appropriate for science communication. This video, a clear yess!
Thanks for sharing. Great vid.
Hey Jeff! It's awesome that you could tell the world about your life like this, big respect for that. In case you are missing the taste, you could get decaf coffee, worked perfectly for me!
Your talent for explanation is fascinating
I went through this process last year, though it wasn't that bad for me. The pandemic alone was bad enough (hell, it still is here in Brazil), so I decided to quit coffee altogether, tune down the alcohol and quit smoking too. The last one is the toughest. But I do recomend it if you want a better day to day life, better sleep and a thousand other benefits.
Best video I've seen on the matter no doubt. 100% agree on everything
I didn't take coffee ever but from this vedio i came to know how one addiction lead to resistance in change and make all of us think and spend most time in interpreting the effects and this is what make us addicted to another addiction without which we cant spent working ideally
Thanx
Thanks for this video.
Rocket Surgeon here, I legit did a paper on Caffeine in college for Aerospace Engineering. Excellent summary
Thanks for this. 100% relevant to where I am right now: trying to quit caffeine, but every previous time I tried, the depression/lethargy was enough to tempt me into using again. Yesterday I caved again and then had a crippling depression episode during my night shift at work. Funny thing is, I used to get massive amounts of work done without any drugs at all. So ultimately I know I'm better off without. I just need to push through the initial few months (max I've gone so far is 40 days). Again, thanks for the video - it helped me a lot. 100% relate.
Pretty insane how badly coffee can trigger anxiety. I started having anxiety a few years back when I started my first internship, and thought it was related to being in a new environment. A year of on and off anxiety attacks passes and I finally figure out that coffee is the cause. Switched to decaf and haven't looked back since!
Personally I found adding whiskey to my coffee in the morning helps solving all the problems you describe.
The way you explained the biology of caffeine was excellent.
Very useful video 👌👌👌
I quit caffeine because it almost killed me; was in the same boat where I functioned off coffee (2-3 32 ounce drinks) per-day. The withdrawal was intense as described; first 24 hours was a headache that basically made me unproductive and took about 3 days for me to recover from, afterwards was intense lethargy almost like an well rested night felt like days where you only get a 3 hour sleep (and associated issues) and this lasted for about 2-3 weeks. Suddenly one day I woke up and just felt well-rested and energetic, energy levels were still a bit lower (as in I went to bed earlier) but I didn't feel fatigued right off that bat. After about another month and some diet improvements to focus on energy-based meals (Fish, fruits, and a decent multi-vitamin) I felt overall better and had perhaps more energy than when I was consuming caffeine.
Outside of my main issue (heart palpitations being drastically reduced / stopped) I noticed the above with anxiety just being less of an issue (I wasn't as twitchy, felt more relaxed and my blood-pressure followed).
I do miss Coffee though... the smell is incredibly intoxicating; I have found Dunkin Decaf to be what works to stave off cravings.
Never started drinking coffee in my life and happy about it.
I had no idea caffeine can cause anxiety, but it would explain a lot because i’ve been dealing with it ever since i was 15-16, which is also when i start drinking coffee (i mostly just like the flavour, never drank it for the caffeine). Going to try and quit, i’d really feel stupid if it’ll work because it’ll mean i’ve had anxiety for 13 years by my own doing
Hi, how have you been since you posted your comment?, if you did quit caffeine, how have you been without it?
Maybe your best video I've seen so far
I've been wanting to quit caffeine as well, and this video finally inspired me to do it. I'm now 36 days without it, and I'm never going back. Thank you.
I had a sense caffeine might be the cause, but i kept trying to solve things with meditation and walks. I can't even relax or enjoy a nap. Your story sounds spot on to what I'm feeling. I'm done with caffeine.
I just love holding something warm and the smell of it, i dont always drink all of it sometimes. But the anxiety is real, when i was in collegue i was drinking over 2 cups in a day and felt like i was drowning
I did the same months ago, and I am really happy with the results
I soft quit caffeine - that is, I still drink it from time to time, but on very small doses, and for the taste as opposed to getting energy - and replaced it with good sleep, exercise and several years of psycotherapy. I think the What I Learned channel might've published a similar video like this a couple years ago which motivated me to take the leap :)
Love your work on Fireship!
This is encouraging...that it gets better. I was forced to ditch all caffeine permanently, after a week in hospital with gastrtis. I've wondered how I will do my job off coffee. Patience 👍
I had exactly the same situation. But I reached worse levels. I didn't want to accept it was anxiety, because by accepting it I had to accept that I was kinda crazy or something similar.
One day, I got so much bad thoughts that suddenly I got paralized. I barely could move anything but eyes, mouth and to breath by thinking on it consciously. I got inyected in the hospital with a very strong sedative drug but I was for 3h more still with high heart beat rate and unable to move or to think anything than to breath.
I thought it was poison or allergies so I followed a very strong rotating diet. After some weeks of no results. The new diet consisted in quitting for almost all liquids but water and this is how I started to recover. I started to sleep longer, digest better, and have a normal life back.
It has been almost a year ago since I don't take any caffeine and I am productive again as a developer, and being productive, and solve my tech issues on a daily basis the best sedative ever. So I am ready for the next day with energy.
Totally recommend quitting from caffeine. I hope you don't have to realise about this when you are in the hospital.
I started having premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and that was a wake up call- I was drinking way too much caffeine. Now it's all caffeine free tea 🍵 So far it's been alright.
I've seen these effects on myself as well, that is why I have switched to an irregular consumption. Sometimes I drink coffee in the morning, sometimes tea, sometimes I don't drink at all. In the weekends I mostly never drink coffee. I have noticed that this way, that first cup of coffee in the morning has more kick, and whenever I feel that kick, I know that I need to focus on work and not procrastinate, otherwise I loose it and will have to drink another cup, which I do not want to do!
I'm a construction worker who gets a huge boost from a single cup of coffee in the morning. It really helps my performance when it comes to physical labor. When that caffeine hits just right I feel like a God throwing them 2x4's around. That being said I'm still building a tolerance to coffee and I'm interested in the benefits of quitting for a month or so.
Thanks, I'm currently thinking about it :)
Totally true! I quit coffee because of stomach issues, but until watching this video I realized that sudden episodes of anxiety that I use to have, now are gone, and I even didn't noticed it!
Thanks for the motivation boost to quit caffeine and caffeine-filled drinks
I went to another country a few years ago and because of that I went from 5+ cups of coffee a day to 1 and lately I am not even drinking any cups of coffee. I do feel much better and more awake in the morning, immediately ready to go to work, which is a lovely feeling.
I totally agree with your points. Sadly I just started a coffee company. Might need to stick to it longer.