Thank you for helping Tim. Your tips over the years have helped change my life. I have spoken about you to people for the last 7 years and they don't really listen. I'm always listening. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for 2 of your videos years ago.
I also have tried different kinds of “dopamine detox” (for 30 days and longer): no coffee, no alcohol, no watching porn, etc. Here my results. For me quitting caffeine didn’t work at all, I didn’t noticed any difference in my sleep or activities. Quitting alcohol for several months gave me a great boost of energy and productivity, but on the short term (like 1-2 months) I didn’t notice much difference (well maybe a little bit). Quitting watching porn even for a week gave me an energy boost, my mood become better, as well as my orgasms became much more colourful, so I definitely recommend to try it. Quitting social network also gave me a better overall feeling and my mood became better just in a couple of days.
Thanks for sharing! Agree on everything every time I tried them! Actually I Just finished a 20 day no caffeine fast. No difference in sleep as many claim.
I would miss caffine the most and porn next. I only have one coffee a day on my walk and really look forward to it. I will have a cheeky tug every 3rd day or so.
00:00: A month off caffeine was a significant challenge after years of consumption. 01:12: Cold turkey approach led to headaches but manageable during a low-stress period. 02:30: Strict dietary restrictions included no sugar, sweeteners, or even sweet toothpaste. 03:50: Inspired by someone who quit caffeine, curiosity about personal baseline drove the decision. 05:30: Experiencing the best sleep in decades and increased energy without caffeine. 06:50: Curiosity about a pure baseline led to a month off all supplements too. 08:00: Realization that tiredness was a mental construct, not a physical need for caffeine. 09:30: Coffee became a security blanket during stressful times, despite its anxiety-inducing effects. 10:50: Awareness of caffeine's impact on sleep quality emerged after returning to coffee. 12:00: Withdrawal symptoms from caffeine can occur quickly, highlighting its powerful effects.
I was a sweet tea drinker, southern girl here, doctor told me to get off caffeine 30 some years ago. Eventually I had to stop decaffeinated tea or coffee because still craved it. 16 years ago I stopped sugar due to hypoglycemia symptoms. Best thing I ever did for my health.
@@Vestu I luckily don't have much of a sweet tooth as I never grew up consuming much of it so I guess I didn't develop that addiction. I actually get repulsed by things that are more than mildly sweet. It appears to be extremely addictive for many people though much like alcohol or cigarettes. My best friend is morbidly obese and really wants to slim down and be healthy and is able to go to the gym but for years he just can't cut down on the sugar. He was even able to cut alcohol out but sugar seems to be near impossible for him. It makes me angry that many people are made severely addicted to it as a child before they can even make that choice for themselves.
I hit 40 recently, quit alcohol - sober for 42 days and counting(not a big drinker but even two drinks seem to have long lasting effects into the week) and really minimized caffeine. Best sleep and energy. Consistently working out - never felt like missing a day. Gut health seems superb. Not sure if I want to completely quit caffeine maybe keep it around 100 mg per day.
I have to hand it to anyone that does this. It’s the best move I’ve made and I’m settled on being a 98% non drinker. I have a lil something on very special occasions (2-3 times a year). Having two alcoholic parents has given way more mindfulness around alcohol consumption
Congratulations on your achievements! It’s amazing how much positive change can come from such mindful choices. If you’re feeling great with a bit of caffeine, finding a balance that works for you sounds like a smart move. Keep up the great work!
Congrats on quitting but I would just stop counting if you plan to make the change permanent and truly become a person who does not drink. Tony Robins on Theo’s podcast has a good explanation for the reason.
Tim, this conversation couldn’t have come at a better time! I had recently encouraged someone I coach to try a similar experiment after hearing about the benefits of cutting out caffeine, and your experience solidified their decision. Just like you, they found that once the initial withdrawal passed, their sleep improved drastically, and their mornings were full of more natural energy. It’s fascinating how much we overlook the impact of these everyday habits. Your story is an incredible motivator for anyone considering making changes!
After being addicted to sugar my entire life (and caffeine two decades) I was able to quit both cold turkey over a year ago by reading the Easy Way books. I also quit alcohol 3.5 years ago after reading a book called Kick the Drink. It’s hard to overstate how good and free I feel without food or caffeine cravings anymore. For anyone struggling, I recommend those books. (Easy Way to Quit Caffeine and Good Sugar Bad Sugar is the other) The feeling of being slightly tired sometimes without coffee is preferable to the inevitable caffeine crash from coffee.
I'm on my 24th day and not feeling great, although I was eating chocolate almost everyday. Tomorrow I'm going full free caffeine. That's the only addition I have to overcome.
I have stopped coffee a few times over my life. Also 5 days ago I stopped again after drinking it multiple times a day for the past few days. And like Tim said once you get over the withdrawals, its amazing the sleep you get,and the increased energy. Its like your whole body has been in an energetic debt to caffeine, and you have no idea the damage it's doing until you stop. I really love coffee, and I wont say I wont try it again but when you stop it really make you wonder how healthy it actually is. If you decide to stop it will be easier to try when you have some free time to rest. Try it 🙌
It’s incredible how much of a difference quitting coffee can make once you get through the withdrawal phase. The boost in energy and improved sleep are definitely eye-opening. Your experience really highlights how much we can underestimate the effects of caffeine. Thanks for sharing your insights-taking a break when you have some downtime sounds like a great approach!
I just did a month of 0 added sugar (chocolate, fizzy drinks etc) The main thing I noticed was my mental clarity went through the roof. Remembering little details, nuances, just being switched on 24/7 felt great!
Living in rural Finland, I cut out coffee, which significantly stabilized my mood and enhanced my mindfulness. The quiet, slow days with minimal social contact allowed for a lifestyle where constant activity, highly valued in our society, wasn’t necessary. However, upon returning to my structured 9-5 life in London, I immediately felt the need to reintroduce coffee. It gave me a sense of agency and motivation that seemed essential in the fast-paced urban environment. This experience has shown me that while cutting out stimulants like caffeine can benefit our health, the demands of modern life often make this challenging. It’s a stark reminder of how our environment shapes our needs and choices, pushing us towards substances like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol that are socially acceptable and ingrained to artificially manage our energy and emotions. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of adjusting their lifestyle to fully eliminate these mood and mind-altering substances.
I quit coffee for a year. I felt really good! I was alert in the morning more than any other time in my life. I didn't feel tired or moody all day. And my cognitive functioning was improving.
I find different types of coffee create quite different states of mind and physiological responses. I have given up coffee now after I realised it made restless leg symptoms worse, never mind my heart racing and anxiety. Before giving it up for good, I had trial runs, giving it up during Lent. I am not catholic, but I find lent is a good opportunity to face my addictions.
I feel the same about coffee. It’s my comfort. I don’t drink, or smoke. I don’t eat sweets/carbs. It’s that one thing I can control and it’s part of my daily ritual. I am shifting to half caff to wean for a bit. If I’m honest, I use it to fast or drink it when I’m hungry instead of stopping for food. It could very well be impacting my sleep structure too. Hmm. Definitely worth pondering. Thank you.
Complete caffeine quitting took me 9 months, dang you could even say a year before I completely stopped wanting it! People think that once the physical symptoms subside they are done and they then “decide” to start using again. Truth is they never got through the mental and emotional withdrawal.
I gave up pineapple a decade ago. Got canker sores. Wasn’t a big deal. Had some recently just to see. No canker sores. Don’t regret or really care. Maybe I’ll have some again. Not everything is an addiction 😂
Absolutely! A social media detox can be incredibly refreshing and beneficial for mental health. It’s great to see more people recognizing the impact of digital habits and taking steps to prioritize their well-being.
I don't think so. Only things that tend to take off is what feels good, if you need discipline it doesn't tend to take off. People don't care if something is good for you, people already know how to lose weight. Internet detox has been known for at least a decade but the interest has stayed the same, probably even decreased a bit since the netflix documentary.
@@flyingwambulancemore and more people are going alcohol free. Hell every major beer brand has a non alcoholic sub. That’s billion dollar corporations saying “there’s money to be made in ppl having less fun” to prove your theory partly wrong. But if your point is “most people will stay addicted” we are all agreed 😂. Discipline isn’t for everyone, it’s for the 20%
@@markislivingdeliberately 20% seems to be a grave over-estimation, perhaps 1-2% from what I've observed. You provide 1 example with alcohol where a small fraction of the market is alcohol-free (4%). I don't know how it would even partly prove me wrong when everything else disagrees. You will always find random noise and it's impossible for exactly all trends to go in the same direction. Even then, internet use increases, vaping increases, obesity increases, outrage culture increases. I would be happy to be proven wrong, if internet detox ever became mainstream the world would quickly heal. I've been in the detox culture for a long time and I've only seen the problems increase. The only way to reverse it is from external enforcement by this point.
Wow its actually crazy how common caffein usage is. I recently stopped and my c-ptsd symptoms got way better. Caffein was extreme stress for my body. Interestingly I can drink tea with no issues!
Fascinating! I'll have to try this when I'm independently wealthy, can afford to go off the grid for weeks at a time, and don't have any external demands on myself or my time.
You are right. Having the freedom, and mostly the financial freedom to not show up to your 9 to 5 for a couple weeks, makes an immense difference in how easy it is to succumb to these pleasures. And then there's the people who say "no excuses" or "why don't you just not buy it anymore", they're the real clueless people. Avoid those people like the plague and find people who don't think the worlds problems will be solved with a couple of shallow 'advices'.
I did the coffee taper off recently. By day 7, when I was down to zero cups of coffee, I felt like a junky how much I was fantasizing about ice coffee. I had no energy, low-level depression, low motivation, and a mild headache.
The book Tim mentioned (The Easy way to quite caffeine) says that you have to cold turkey otherwise you'll end up feeling like a junky just as you said. The book is worth it and only takes about 2 hours to listen to on audible
Great video. Although I've read that to really experience baseline, it can take up to 60-90 days with no caffeine. I quit for 3 weeks recently, and the biggest challenge was the anhedonia. I believe this is due to the decreased sensitivity of dopamine receptors. So, normal everyday pleasures no longer feel the same, especially work and productivity tasks.
Maybe one of the benefits of aerobic exercise is it increases the metabolism of caffeine, sugar, etc lessening their effect. I know minimal carbs is good, no alcohol is great, so maybe I should try cutting out caffeine. . This video has me intrigued. What if I stopped drinking coffee.....? I also take stimulants for ADHD, so I'd have to consider maybe not taking them. I'm not going to go off the rails, I'll just misplace my car keys, multiple times, everyday. In the interests of science and perhaps better focus and energy, it'll be worth the effort. Also I read the Four Hour Work Week when it came out. It radically changed my thinking. So I like Ferriss Experiments.
Total agreement with 11:40, the best reason to detox from coffee is because after you do the first coffee you have is like heaven! In my n=1 testing I need about a month. After quitting two weeks I distinctly remember it NOT getting the kick I was hoping for. (side note: who's Tequila is he selling? That was hilarious! I loved the casual sip after casually drawing attention to the bottle. I've got no problem with it, if tequila pays for this content that's great, but boy did it feal like an 80's commercial)
3 weeks ago I stopped coffee cold turkey due to stomach pain and I get way better sleep now and have less food cravings. Also, my anxiety has been cut in half. I don't think I'm going back now knowing that I'm sensitive to caffeine... I'm learning my health is nothing to gamble with.
@randomrachael420 I'm thinking I'm gonna stop. I've had the intuition to do it and this video may put me over edge. Was thinking if replacing it with small dose methylene blue for the first week or so. Then go nothing.
I can very much relate to the habit to drink coffee when you are anxious, although its counterproductive. I was drinking a liter of strong coffee every day for years, and my wish to quit it really frightened me. Luckily this fear left me after being aware of it for some time and now i drink zero coffee with no issues. Cant say i feel massive difference beside feeling a little calmer and less anxious but i am super releaved beeing free of the addiction. Its just more freedom and less dependancy, which is great. (excuse the typos, i am not a native)
You can also brush your teeth with tea tree oil... a wet toothbrush with 1-2 drops of tea tree oil on it. Definitely an acquired taste, but effective in cleaning teeth.
Tim recounts how he evaluates his coffee state versus his normal state, which I have intuitively asked myself. Understanding our organic selves is essential. I wonder if we are all walking around with adrenal fatigue.
I gave up caffeine for 3 months in an attempt to improve my sleep, but didn't notice any difference (across all areas of my health). Everyone is different, but these things are worth trying.
Coming up on 2 years caffeine free. It takes a long time to get over caffeine completely. I still felt groggy and side effects 5-6 months after quitting. It is a long journey.
People underestimate caffeine and its sideeffects. I feel WAY better without as when Im consuming. Like in every way. Its a drug. People should handle it like that.
Thanks for sharing! I'm curious, how are you finding the 30-day oil, salt, and sugar-free purge so far? Have you noticed any specific changes or challenges?
@@InnerAlchemy-th6jc The diet hasn't changed that much (vegan) There's been a few changes in the recipes, and getting used to black coffee for the most part it beem good.
I found that dandelion/chicory root powder drinks were the best replacement for coffee when doing a recent detox. Plus a lot of Advil unfortunately. Now i sprinkle a bit of instant coffee into my powder and then some days I brew a coffee with 70-80% decaf and the rest caffeine. Dark roast which is lower caff and lower acid. That decaf coffee is like having a full cup of caff coffee for my past self.
Whenever I do a fast, not overnight but a more intense, 3-day no food fast, I go off caffeine naturally. My body just doesn't want it. For me the caffeine of choice is Japanese green tea which is lower in caff but still...i absolutely adore that stuff otherwise. But when fasting, I just don't have the appetite for it. It's a natural reset. That shows me that my body isn't addicted to it, which i like - that in itself would prompt me to want to go off it periodically. Of course only 3 days isn't the same reset as 30 days without. But still, it feels I'm in step with my body's needs.
I did dry July and quite coffee too. No alcohol was easy but no coffee was so tough. Took 2 weeks to not think about it. I’m back on the Black Death now and regret it too… now it’s got me by the balls with a tighter grip 😮💨
Went from 4 - 5 cups a day to one every few days, or a mild green tea every few days. I kicked high caffeine coffee and quantity because it makes me more dehydrated, affecting performance and attitude. Caffeine and dehydration also contributes to my fatigue, headaches, and I don't want kidney stones and elevated uric acid (gout)- things to avoid. Now only occasionally with a social or during networking for enjoyment not a daily habit. The longer you drink coffee the less the affect of caffeine, #diminishedreturns.
The host hit on exactly what I am seeking: that first-cup-of-coffee after quitting feeling. When I quit coffee and then start again, that first day or two I am MASSIVELY productive at work. This must be what cocaine or meth is like, but I am not interested in trying those. My last experiment was trying to drink coffee every 2nd day and using nicotine gum or vaping every non-coffee day. Didn't work because the nicotine just didn't make me more productive. Seems like there is nothing like caffeine for getting work done, unless we go into prescription or illegal territory. Anyone else have some insight into this?
Me too - and I feel powerless to quit. In the past several years I've managed to quite briefly with what feels like a heroic effort, but have always caved back in.
I've practiced quitting. I still drink it, but it's low on my priorities to quit. Try tapering off or have a hot chocolate. The theobromine is a caffeine substitute. Although, for me, it's still easier to quit hot chocolate than coffee.
Sounds like everyday for me in Europe, no Caffeine, Alcohol, Sex, Or ‘Sweetness’, I could live that indefinitely, who knows. Just keeping to the basics.
I've been taking Finasteride for about 7 months to prevent myself from becoming a bald freak and its completely killed my sex drive. I figured i might as well try the Dopamine fast because i have nothing left in my life besides my business. Does it get better or should I just shave it and get a weave?
My best experience of lice-changing detox has been a few visits of a week or two to the Ann Wigmore Live Food institute. I think it works because nutrition and digestion are so optimized but also because you don't do any of these unnatural stimulants. I experience fantastic energy, a subtle but beautiful sharpening of consciousness, when I return home my doormen ask what happened, because I looked younger that a few weeks before. I always try to stick with the program at home but eventually fall off the wagon - with a cup of coffee. And when i do I have the experience they mention here - being severly jolted by the power of caffeine. I can only compare it to crack, which I did twice w a girlfriend decades ago. Then you realize, if you've been a coffee drinker, that you've been ingesting a very powerful drug for years.
I've gone off caffeine a bunch of times for long periods. The size of serving in coffee shops is excessive anyway. I prefer baseline me over the caffeinated me, even though I love coffee too. Yes, the euphoria one experiences when you have a cup after a long no caffeine stint is like falling in love. The downside is that it only lasts for a few hours and then you're back in heartbreak mode, and so we crave another hit. And the cycle continues. I intend to generally stay off the "juice", but when I do I make a thing out of it and have coffee dates with friends going through the circuit of cafes that I want to try.
00:00: Experiencing a Month Without Caffeine and Other Pleasures 01:04: Navigating Sweetness Restrictions During the Detox 01:57: Reflections on Caffeine and Personal Dependency 05:14: Insights from a Caffeine-Free Experiment Summary by Awesum AI
Holy shit, I just had a similar experience with caffeine - I *thought* my sleep trackers were fucked as they barely recorded any deep sleep. Stopped drinking coffee and my deep sleep shot through the roof, it was incredible. I don't know if this is normal or not, I'm just assuming I'm more sensitive to caffeine than the average person.
@AhmedPuno any other dietary thing you may try for that? I'm thinking quitting coffee will. I've intuitively known it but haven't had guts to follow through.
seems pharma has figured that out long ago if you look at caffeine used in meds like painkillers. so to uno reverse hack this: if you are not a regular heavy coffee drinker, consider a strong coffee over a painkiller next time you have a headache
No toothpaste for no sweet seems a little extra. Do you swallow your toothpaste? From subjective experience, having toothpaste in my mouth does not give me a sweet-tooth satisifying dopamine boost.
The idea that you can’t ski because you didn’t drink coffee is silly. Thinking that changing your toothpaste is a key part of a dopamine detox is silly. Tim seems more prone to placebo than the average person.
I drink a mug of black coffee with L-theanine every morning, enjoy it, and it causes me no problems at all. I don't get any kind of energy "crash" when the caffeine wears off. And it really helps motivate me for my morning exercise.
Imagine what the men of 60 years ago would think listening to this conversation between two men breaking down and micromanaging every little aspect of their daily life 😂
Went to Peru on an ayahuasca retreat last November. No caffeine 2 weeks prior was the protocol. I was drinking about 4 cups of coffee per day at the time. It was f'ing hard, but now 7 months later I'll never go back to caffeine addiction.
When I go off caffeine, the first couple of days can be foggy (but it's not too bad if you take some time off and just relax). After a week, though, I don’t really notice a difference-I feel just as good as I did on caffeine. I can't say I'm sleeping better, but if I get less sleep, I don’t feel as lousy the next day as I did when I was drinking coffee, which is a nice benefit. However, I’ve noticed that sometimes, after going without coffee for 3-4 weeks, I can slip into a mild depression. Maybe I start missing that high and wired feeling. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
As a Latter-day Saint (Mormon), I have already been living a life without alcohol, coffee and smoking. I am glad to see other people experiencing the great benefits of living an addiction free life. Our bodies are truly connected to our mental and emotional well-being
The notion that caffeine addiction is super hardcore is part of the problem people give their power to. It's not crazy to go cold turkey at all. Just stop drinking caffeine, it's not a big deal.
@@milesthronson1442 thats pretty fringe, ive never heard anything like that in my 32 years of life. So many people take vast amounts of caffeine and dont have any rough side effects besides just craving
Caffeine consumption increases the number of adenosine receptors and down regulates endocannabinoids. Side effects are to be expected. The body is trying to find equilibrium again.
Enjoyed this clip? Watch my FULL conversation with Kevin Rose: th-cam.com/video/bYXa5RCGLiM/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for helping Tim. Your tips over the years have helped change my life. I have spoken about you to people for the last 7 years and they don't really listen. I'm always listening. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for 2 of your videos years ago.
I also have tried different kinds of “dopamine detox” (for 30 days and longer): no coffee, no alcohol, no watching porn, etc. Here my results. For me quitting caffeine didn’t work at all, I didn’t noticed any difference in my sleep or activities. Quitting alcohol for several months gave me a great boost of energy and productivity, but on the short term (like 1-2 months) I didn’t notice much difference (well maybe a little bit). Quitting watching porn even for a week gave me an energy boost, my mood become better, as well as my orgasms became much more colourful, so I definitely recommend to try it. Quitting social network also gave me a better overall feeling and my mood became better just in a couple of days.
Thanks for sharing! Agree on everything every time I tried them! Actually I Just finished a 20 day no caffeine fast. No difference in sleep as many claim.
Just give up porn permanently literally 0 contribution to your existence... doesn't give, only takes
The single best thing that improved my mood is staying off social media 👍
I would miss caffine the most and porn next. I only have one coffee a day on my walk and really look forward to it. I will have a cheeky tug every 3rd day or so.
Colourful like a rainbow?
00:00: A month off caffeine was a significant challenge after years of consumption.
01:12: Cold turkey approach led to headaches but manageable during a low-stress period.
02:30: Strict dietary restrictions included no sugar, sweeteners, or even sweet toothpaste.
03:50: Inspired by someone who quit caffeine, curiosity about personal baseline drove the decision.
05:30: Experiencing the best sleep in decades and increased energy without caffeine.
06:50: Curiosity about a pure baseline led to a month off all supplements too.
08:00: Realization that tiredness was a mental construct, not a physical need for caffeine.
09:30: Coffee became a security blanket during stressful times, despite its anxiety-inducing effects.
10:50: Awareness of caffeine's impact on sleep quality emerged after returning to coffee.
12:00: Withdrawal symptoms from caffeine can occur quickly, highlighting its powerful effects.
😂
Can we get the guy on the left to interrupt more? The information is flowing too fluidly.
completely agree lol
He's one of my least favorite guests on the entire show. For some reason he's also on several times per year...
I love interviewers who interrupt
They're like best friends... And they're having a conversation
Came to the comments to say this. Let the man talk 😂
I was a sweet tea drinker, southern girl here, doctor told me to get off caffeine 30 some years ago. Eventually I had to stop decaffeinated tea or coffee because still craved it. 16 years ago I stopped sugar due to hypoglycemia symptoms. Best thing I ever did for my health.
I'm of age 20 currently....I quitted sugar ,fried, refined wheat flour to be honest this gives me so much fulfilment.....😊
That’s an amazing and huge win!! Great job 👏
i only drink Green tea, no suger, for over 20 years now. (47 years old now)
We should treat (at least added) sugar like it's cocaine.
@@Vestu I luckily don't have much of a sweet tooth as I never grew up consuming much of it so I guess I didn't develop that addiction. I actually get repulsed by things that are more than mildly sweet. It appears to be extremely addictive for many people though much like alcohol or cigarettes. My best friend is morbidly obese and really wants to slim down and be healthy and is able to go to the gym but for years he just can't cut down on the sugar. He was even able to cut alcohol out but sugar seems to be near impossible for him. It makes me angry that many people are made severely addicted to it as a child before they can even make that choice for themselves.
I hit 40 recently, quit alcohol - sober for 42 days and counting(not a big drinker but even two drinks seem to have long lasting effects into the week) and really minimized caffeine.
Best sleep and energy. Consistently working out - never felt like missing a day. Gut health seems superb.
Not sure if I want to completely quit caffeine maybe keep it around 100 mg per day.
Congrats on the alcohol! i also quit this year. I'm never going back. Just keeps getting easier with time
I have to hand it to anyone that does this. It’s the best move I’ve made and I’m settled on being a 98% non drinker. I have a lil something on very special occasions (2-3 times a year). Having two alcoholic parents has given way more mindfulness around alcohol consumption
Congratulations on your achievements! It’s amazing how much positive change can come from such mindful choices. If you’re feeling great with a bit of caffeine, finding a balance that works for you sounds like a smart move. Keep up the great work!
Congrats on quitting but I would just stop counting if you plan to make the change permanent and truly become a person who does not drink. Tony Robins on Theo’s podcast has a good explanation for the reason.
Yeah. Alcohol fucking sucks for sleep. Been so over drinking for a while. Time for me to cut caffeine though
I enjoyed hearing your realization of being calm, not tired, vs wired. I am now curious what my baseline would feel like. Something to explore soon
Ferriss was last relevant in about 2016. Good lord he is so dull these days.
Tim, this conversation couldn’t have come at a better time! I had recently encouraged someone I coach to try a similar experiment after hearing about the benefits of cutting out caffeine, and your experience solidified their decision. Just like you, they found that once the initial withdrawal passed, their sleep improved drastically, and their mornings were full of more natural energy. It’s fascinating how much we overlook the impact of these everyday habits. Your story is an incredible motivator for anyone considering making changes!
After being addicted to sugar my entire life (and caffeine two decades) I was able to quit both cold turkey over a year ago by reading the Easy Way books. I also quit alcohol 3.5 years ago after reading a book called Kick the Drink. It’s hard to overstate how good and free I feel without food or caffeine cravings anymore. For anyone struggling, I recommend those books. (Easy Way to Quit Caffeine and Good Sugar Bad Sugar is the other) The feeling of being slightly tired sometimes without coffee is preferable to the inevitable caffeine crash from coffee.
Man caffeine is too enjoyable to quit. I'm good. Sugar I gotta cut back on though. And been a teetotaler all my life.
I'm on my 24th day and not feeling great, although I was eating chocolate almost everyday. Tomorrow I'm going full free caffeine. That's the only addition I have to overcome.
I have stopped coffee a few times over my life. Also 5 days ago I stopped again after drinking it multiple times a day for the past few days. And like Tim said once you get over the withdrawals, its amazing the sleep you get,and the increased energy. Its like your whole body has been in an energetic debt to caffeine, and you have no idea the damage it's doing until you stop. I really love coffee, and I wont say I wont try it again but when you stop it really make you wonder how healthy it actually is. If you decide to stop it will be easier to try when you have some free time to rest. Try it 🙌
It’s incredible how much of a difference quitting coffee can make once you get through the withdrawal phase. The boost in energy and improved sleep are definitely eye-opening. Your experience really highlights how much we can underestimate the effects of caffeine. Thanks for sharing your insights-taking a break when you have some downtime sounds like a great approach!
I just did a month of 0 added sugar (chocolate, fizzy drinks etc)
The main thing I noticed was my mental clarity went through the roof.
Remembering little details, nuances, just being switched on 24/7 felt great!
Living in rural Finland, I cut out coffee, which significantly stabilized my mood and enhanced my mindfulness. The quiet, slow days with minimal social contact allowed for a lifestyle where constant activity, highly valued in our society, wasn’t necessary. However, upon returning to my structured 9-5 life in London, I immediately felt the need to reintroduce coffee. It gave me a sense of agency and motivation that seemed essential in the fast-paced urban environment. This experience has shown me that while cutting out stimulants like caffeine can benefit our health, the demands of modern life often make this challenging. It’s a stark reminder of how our environment shapes our needs and choices, pushing us towards substances like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol that are socially acceptable and ingrained to artificially manage our energy and emotions. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of adjusting their lifestyle to fully eliminate these mood and mind-altering substances.
I quit coffee for a year. I felt really good! I was alert in the morning more than any other time in my life. I didn't feel tired or moody all day. And my cognitive functioning was improving.
Just bought "the easy way to quit caffeine" audiobook. Thanks Tim!
How to be a boring tw@t by Tim Ferriss
I find different types of coffee create quite different states of mind and physiological responses. I have given up coffee now after I realised it made restless leg symptoms worse, never mind my heart racing and anxiety. Before giving it up for good, I had trial runs, giving it up during Lent. I am not catholic, but I find lent is a good opportunity to face my addictions.
I feel the same about coffee. It’s my comfort. I don’t drink, or smoke. I don’t eat sweets/carbs. It’s that one thing I can control and it’s part of my daily ritual. I am shifting to half caff to wean for a bit. If I’m honest, I use it to fast or drink it when I’m hungry instead of stopping for food. It could very well be impacting my sleep structure too. Hmm. Definitely worth pondering. Thank you.
Complete caffeine quitting took me 9 months, dang you could even say a year before I completely stopped wanting it! People think that once the physical symptoms subside they are done and they then “decide” to start using again. Truth is they never got through the mental and emotional withdrawal.
I gave up pineapple a decade ago. Got canker sores. Wasn’t a big deal. Had some recently just to see. No canker sores.
Don’t regret or really care. Maybe I’ll have some again.
Not everything is an addiction 😂
social media/internet detox will be the next big thing, it's a normalised addiction that's so detrimental to our wellbeing.
Absolutely! A social media detox can be incredibly refreshing and beneficial for mental health. It’s great to see more people recognizing the impact of digital habits and taking steps to prioritize their well-being.
I don't think so. Only things that tend to take off is what feels good, if you need discipline it doesn't tend to take off. People don't care if something is good for you, people already know how to lose weight. Internet detox has been known for at least a decade but the interest has stayed the same, probably even decreased a bit since the netflix documentary.
@@flyingwambulancemore and more people are going alcohol free. Hell every major beer brand has a non alcoholic sub. That’s billion dollar corporations saying “there’s money to be made in ppl having less fun” to prove your theory partly wrong.
But if your point is “most people will stay addicted” we are all agreed 😂. Discipline isn’t for everyone, it’s for the 20%
I agree
@@markislivingdeliberately 20% seems to be a grave over-estimation, perhaps 1-2% from what I've observed.
You provide 1 example with alcohol where a small fraction of the market is alcohol-free (4%). I don't know how it would even partly prove me wrong when everything else disagrees. You will always find random noise and it's impossible for exactly all trends to go in the same direction. Even then, internet use increases, vaping increases, obesity increases, outrage culture increases.
I would be happy to be proven wrong, if internet detox ever became mainstream the world would quickly heal. I've been in the detox culture for a long time and I've only seen the problems increase. The only way to reverse it is from external enforcement by this point.
Wow its actually crazy how common caffein usage is. I recently stopped and my c-ptsd symptoms got way better. Caffein was extreme stress for my body. Interestingly I can drink tea with no issues!
Relatable
“Challenging yourself is the highest form of self love”. The wide shot is ascetically pleasing 😊
Fascinating! I'll have to try this when I'm independently wealthy, can afford to go off the grid for weeks at a time, and don't have any external demands on myself or my time.
To cut caffeine?
@@beckwilde The amount of excuses people deal out is mind-boggling
Lmao biggest loser comment of the year 😂 the excuses 🤐🙈
You are right. Having the freedom, and mostly the financial freedom to not show up to your 9 to 5 for a couple weeks, makes an immense difference in how easy it is to succumb to these pleasures.
And then there's the people who say "no excuses" or "why don't you just not buy it anymore", they're the real clueless people. Avoid those people like the plague and find people who don't think the worlds problems will be solved with a couple of shallow 'advices'.
I did the coffee taper off recently. By day 7, when I was down to zero cups of coffee, I felt like a junky how much I was fantasizing about ice coffee. I had no energy, low-level depression, low motivation, and a mild headache.
Did you stay off caffeine?
Been there, know it. It’s no fun. It lasts 3 days and starts to
Improve each day slowly. Exercise helps a lot.
The book Tim mentioned (The Easy way to quite caffeine) says that you have to cold turkey otherwise you'll end up feeling like a junky just as you said. The book is worth it and only takes about 2 hours to listen to on audible
@@Dannyboyjr I enjoyed that book!
Great convo. We should seek to challenge ourselves like this. Giving up sweetness would be the hardest for me.
Great video. Although I've read that to really experience baseline, it can take up to 60-90 days with no caffeine. I quit for 3 weeks recently, and the biggest challenge was the anhedonia. I believe this is due to the decreased sensitivity of dopamine receptors. So, normal everyday pleasures no longer feel the same, especially work and productivity tasks.
Maybe one of the benefits of aerobic exercise is it increases the metabolism of caffeine, sugar, etc lessening their effect. I know minimal carbs is good, no alcohol is great, so maybe I should try cutting out caffeine. .
This video has me intrigued. What if I stopped drinking coffee.....? I also take stimulants for ADHD, so I'd have to consider maybe not taking them. I'm not going to go off the rails, I'll just misplace my car keys, multiple times, everyday. In the interests of science and perhaps better focus and energy, it'll be worth the effort.
Also I read the Four Hour Work Week when it came out. It radically changed my thinking. So I like Ferriss Experiments.
How is nobody talking about Health and Beauty Mastery. It exposes industry health secrets
Total agreement with 11:40, the best reason to detox from coffee is because after you do the first coffee you have is like heaven! In my n=1 testing I need about a month. After quitting two weeks I distinctly remember it NOT getting the kick I was hoping for.
(side note: who's Tequila is he selling? That was hilarious! I loved the casual sip after casually drawing attention to the bottle. I've got no problem with it, if tequila pays for this content that's great, but boy did it feal like an 80's commercial)
3 weeks ago I stopped coffee cold turkey due to stomach pain and I get way better sleep now and have less food cravings. Also, my anxiety has been cut in half. I don't think I'm going back now knowing that I'm sensitive to caffeine... I'm learning my health is nothing to gamble with.
@randomrachael420 I'm thinking I'm gonna stop. I've had the intuition to do it and this video may put me over edge. Was thinking if replacing it with small dose methylene blue for the first week or so. Then go nothing.
Yep I can attest to easy way to quite smoking. Read that 15 years ago never smoked again
I'm so excited for day 31. Have all 4 together. Tell that story. ❤❤❤❤
I can very much relate to the habit to drink coffee when you are anxious, although its counterproductive. I was drinking a liter of strong coffee every day for years, and my wish to quit it really frightened me. Luckily this fear left me after being aware of it for some time and now i drink zero coffee with no issues. Cant say i feel massive difference beside feeling a little calmer and less anxious but i am super releaved beeing free of the addiction. Its just more freedom and less dependancy, which is great. (excuse the typos, i am not a native)
What prescription meds does Tim take?
I’m also on no caffeine its been 7 days, never felt more aware, but had a bunch of temper issues lol
I was on day 7, two days ago. I went back to coffee because it was so pointless and miserable.
The easy way to quit smoking was a gamechanger. And probably carries the essence of any substance we think we are a slave to..
You can also brush your teeth with tea tree oil... a wet toothbrush with 1-2 drops of tea tree oil on it. Definitely an acquired taste, but effective in cleaning teeth.
TH-cam shorts got me hooked to be honest. How to remove TH-cam shorts from the TH-cam app does anybody know?
Tim recounts how he evaluates his coffee state versus his normal state, which I have intuitively asked myself. Understanding our organic selves is essential. I wonder if we are all walking around with adrenal fatigue.
I gave up caffeine for 3 months in an attempt to improve my sleep, but didn't notice any difference (across all areas of my health). Everyone is different, but these things are worth trying.
Coming up on 2 years caffeine free. It takes a long time to get over caffeine completely. I still felt groggy and side effects 5-6 months after quitting. It is a long journey.
Sounds like a boring journey.
People underestimate caffeine and its sideeffects. I feel WAY better without as when Im consuming. Like in every way. Its a drug. People should handle it like that.
Brilliant as always 💚 I'm doing a 30 day Oil, Salt, sugar free purge Great interview!
Thanks for sharing! I'm curious, how are you finding the 30-day oil, salt, and sugar-free purge so far? Have you noticed any specific changes or challenges?
@@InnerAlchemy-th6jc The diet hasn't changed that much (vegan) There's been a few changes in the recipes, and getting used to black coffee for the most part it beem good.
I found that dandelion/chicory root powder drinks were the best replacement for coffee when doing a recent detox. Plus a lot of Advil unfortunately.
Now i sprinkle a bit of instant coffee into my powder and then some days I brew a coffee with 70-80% decaf and the rest caffeine. Dark roast which is lower caff and lower acid. That decaf coffee is like having a full cup of caff coffee for my past self.
I'm going to recommend this to a friend who is having trouble sleeping and offer to do it with him. No caffeine, alcohol, or sweet drinks.
Wow 8:34 exactly me .. coffee has never disappointed me! Always a constant in my life lol
Thank you Tim!
Whenever I do a fast, not overnight but a more intense, 3-day no food fast, I go off caffeine naturally. My body just doesn't want it. For me the caffeine of choice is Japanese green tea which is lower in caff but still...i absolutely adore that stuff otherwise. But when fasting, I just don't have the appetite for it. It's a natural reset. That shows me that my body isn't addicted to it, which i like - that in itself would prompt me to want to go off it periodically. Of course only 3 days isn't the same reset as 30 days without. But still, it feels I'm in step with my body's needs.
I did dry July and quite coffee too. No alcohol was easy but no coffee was so tough. Took 2 weeks to not think about it. I’m back on the Black Death now and regret it too… now it’s got me by the balls with a tighter grip 😮💨
What about your last TMS Protocol (a transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol)? Was it easier to manage this 30-Day Dopamine Detox with TMS?
Went from 4 - 5 cups a day to one every few days, or a mild green tea every few days. I kicked high caffeine coffee and quantity because it makes me more dehydrated, affecting performance and attitude. Caffeine and dehydration also contributes to my fatigue, headaches, and I don't want kidney stones and elevated uric acid (gout)- things to avoid. Now only occasionally with a social or during networking for enjoyment not a daily habit. The longer you drink coffee the less the affect of caffeine, #diminishedreturns.
We are a nation of drugged people. NOOOOOOO!!! Send help please! Everyone arround me is drugged! Help!
'America runs on Dunkin'
No caffeine, alcohol, sex or sugar!! Welcome to my life! 😂😂
The host hit on exactly what I am seeking: that first-cup-of-coffee after quitting feeling. When I quit coffee and then start again, that first day or two I am MASSIVELY productive at work. This must be what cocaine or meth is like, but I am not interested in trying those. My last experiment was trying to drink coffee every 2nd day and using nicotine gum or vaping every non-coffee day. Didn't work because the nicotine just didn't make me more productive. Seems like there is nothing like caffeine for getting work done, unless we go into prescription or illegal territory. Anyone else have some insight into this?
"I was just calm.." ...that part. I can attest
I'm just finishing my month off all of these on Monday... good to see tim joined me on this... except for the toothpaste thing😂
I am struggling to quit caffeine like it's heroin
The headaches are unreal!
I drink chai with some black tea and milk. Makes me awake but I dont get greedy about it like coffee.
Me too - and I feel powerless to quit. In the past several years I've managed to quite briefly with what feels like a heroic effort, but have always caved back in.
@@adamd9418 21 days.
I've practiced quitting. I still drink it, but it's low on my priorities to quit. Try tapering off or have a hot chocolate. The theobromine is a caffeine substitute. Although, for me, it's still easier to quit hot chocolate than coffee.
Sounds like everyday for me in Europe, no Caffeine, Alcohol, Sex, Or ‘Sweetness’, I could live that indefinitely, who knows. Just keeping to the basics.
Quit doing drugs 26 years ago. Quite cigarettes 24 yrs ago. Struggled to quit sugar forever. 😢
I've been taking Finasteride for about 7 months to prevent myself from becoming a bald freak and its completely killed my sex drive. I figured i might as well try the Dopamine fast because i have nothing left in my life besides my business. Does it get better or should I just shave it and get a weave?
lol eff these other comments, the random show is my favorite and I love when Kevin is on.
I don’t need caffeine anymore I just run on pure anxiety.
My best experience of lice-changing detox has been a few visits of a week or two to the Ann Wigmore Live Food institute. I think it works because nutrition and digestion are so optimized but also because you don't do any of these unnatural stimulants. I experience fantastic energy, a subtle but beautiful sharpening of consciousness, when I return home my doormen ask what happened, because I looked younger that a few weeks before.
I always try to stick with the program at home but eventually fall off the wagon - with a cup of coffee. And when i do I have the experience they mention here - being severly jolted by the power of caffeine. I can only compare it to crack, which I did twice w a girlfriend decades ago. Then you realize, if you've been a coffee drinker, that you've been ingesting a very powerful drug for years.
TIM TIM TALK TALK
I've gone off caffeine a bunch of times for long periods. The size of serving in coffee shops is excessive anyway. I prefer baseline me over the caffeinated me, even though I love coffee too. Yes, the euphoria one experiences when you have a cup after a long no caffeine stint is like falling in love. The downside is that it only lasts for a few hours and then you're back in heartbreak mode, and so we crave another hit. And the cycle continues.
I intend to generally stay off the "juice", but when I do I make a thing out of it and have coffee dates with friends going through the circuit of cafes that I want to try.
00:00: Experiencing a Month Without Caffeine and Other Pleasures
01:04: Navigating Sweetness Restrictions During the Detox
01:57: Reflections on Caffeine and Personal Dependency
05:14: Insights from a Caffeine-Free Experiment
Summary by Awesum AI
Whats the other guy’s name? He looks familiar but I cannot find his name in the description
Holy shit, I just had a similar experience with caffeine - I *thought* my sleep trackers were fucked as they barely recorded any deep sleep. Stopped drinking coffee and my deep sleep shot through the roof, it was incredible. I don't know if this is normal or not, I'm just assuming I'm more sensitive to caffeine than the average person.
Immense value... Thanks Tim... Sounds like you need to have a deep conversation with Seneca 🤣 (PS: Your Tao of Seneca is 🔥)
In my experience, after quitting coffee for about 2 weeks, you will definitely notice it when you take that first cup of coffee again.
Good information 👍🏽
Did you substitute coffee with any other drink? If so what was it?
Highly recommend switching to a sidekick that asks thoughtful questions rather than goading Tim like a juvenile boy.
Super interesting! Thanks!
what's clipped on your shirt sir? is it some new biotech that we need to know about? or a microphone for a different activity?
Wondering if stopping coffee would help with intrusive thoughts. I'm thinking it would.
100% will help you!!
@AhmedPuno any other dietary thing you may try for that? I'm thinking quitting coffee will. I've intuitively known it but haven't had guts to follow through.
@@SpiritualEvolution14 anything with caffeine. Chocolates, tea, softdrinks, energy drinks. Etc..even decaffed.
@@Ahmedpuno I eat a lot of cacao so that could do it
@@Ahmedpuno I'm weening off with cacao but am on day 2, man I had some wicked headaches yesterday but seems ok now.
seems pharma has figured that out long ago if you look at caffeine used in meds like painkillers. so to uno reverse hack this: if you are not a regular heavy coffee drinker, consider a strong coffee over a painkiller next time you have a headache
I’ve recently been thinking about the idea of living an addiction less life.
No toothpaste for no sweet seems a little extra. Do you swallow your toothpaste? From subjective experience, having toothpaste in my mouth does not give me a sweet-tooth satisifying dopamine boost.
would you consider whey protein and electrolytes as supplements?
The idea that you can’t ski because you didn’t drink coffee is silly. Thinking that changing your toothpaste is a key part of a dopamine detox is silly. Tim seems more prone to placebo than the average person.
I drink a mug of black coffee with L-theanine every morning, enjoy it, and it causes me no problems at all. I don't get any kind of energy "crash" when the caffeine wears off. And it really helps motivate me for my morning exercise.
Wow. All his sleep issues are exactly like mine. Coffee is the only substance I haven’t tried to abstain from
Imagine what the men of 60 years ago would think listening to this conversation between two men breaking down and micromanaging every little aspect of their daily life 😂
Went to Peru on an ayahuasca retreat last November. No caffeine 2 weeks prior was the protocol. I was drinking about 4 cups of coffee per day at the time. It was f'ing hard, but now 7 months later I'll never go back to caffeine addiction.
When I go off caffeine, the first couple of days can be foggy (but it's not too bad if you take some time off and just relax). After a week, though, I don’t really notice a difference-I feel just as good as I did on caffeine. I can't say I'm sleeping better, but if I get less sleep, I don’t feel as lousy the next day as I did when I was drinking coffee, which is a nice benefit. However, I’ve noticed that sometimes, after going without coffee for 3-4 weeks, I can slip into a mild depression. Maybe I start missing that high and wired feeling. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
As a Latter-day Saint (Mormon), I have already been living a life without alcohol, coffee and smoking. I am glad to see other people experiencing the great benefits of living an addiction free life. Our bodies are truly connected to our mental and emotional well-being
Do you include allulose as a sweetener?
Of everyone vying for my attention this guy is top of my list and I would throw everyone else off the list if I could only keep one person on it.
bring him on again
Major aggression driving and hard to sleep without 420, still so easy and NOTHING like caffeine. Caffeine is brutal. 🧟♀️
yall should do a deep dive on peptides
I stopped drinking coffee during the corona crisis. Feel great without, sometimes drink decaf.
The notion that caffeine addiction is super hardcore is part of the problem people give their power to. It's not crazy to go cold turkey at all. Just stop drinking caffeine, it's not a big deal.
Depends on how much you are taking. I quit one time 5 years ago and spent a day hurdling my toilet and 3 days of a migraine.
@@milesthronson1442 thats pretty fringe, ive never heard anything like that in my 32 years of life. So many people take vast amounts of caffeine and dont have any rough side effects besides just craving
Caffeine consumption increases the number of adenosine receptors and down regulates endocannabinoids. Side effects are to be expected. The body is trying to find equilibrium again.
@@Ryanh-z8h Side effects that are mild enough that there shouldn't be some kind of fear of quitting for a period of time.
I can do anything for 30 days. Longer than that is a problem.
Almost like Ramadan, except you're allowed most of those after sundown, you abstain from them during daylight hours for the month.
More uncertainty there is, the more rituals we seem to create to feel better.. and caffeine sure is part of it..
I cut my caffiene WAY back and dont have any caffiene after 11:30am and my sleep is SOOO much better.
Does Fruit count as “sweetness”. Maple syrup?
Wait..how many prescription meds does this guy take?
Guy on the left is insufferable
bro, let Tim Ferris talk. When Tim Ferris talks, stop interrupting him, damn.