In the past few months I have also been experiencing many symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue. I would rely on coffee as a source of energy and mood enhancer. If I didn't have my coffee, I would be irritable and very tired and experiences headaches.
So it was time for a change!!! The week before I completely cut out coffee, I cut down to one per day so I did not think it would be so difficult after making that adjustment. Here was my 7 Day experience!!!
Day 1-I will NOT lie to you, this day was the worst and took some serious motivation!!! I honestly felt very tired that morning and for the entire day I experienced a headache caused by withdrawal. I also felt as if I had brain fog and at times I felt depressed. I did notice my usual morning anxiety had decreased and I had the same physical energy. After feeling this horrible I realized that I needed to do this because I never want to be this dependent on a substance. That night I slept for 11 hours!!! I typically sleep for about 7-8, so this was unusual for me!
Day 2-I had a small headache that only lasted about an hour in the morning. I did feel groggy for about half of the day, but extremely better than the first day!
Day 3 & 4- On these days I still felt some brain fog, but also a sense of calmness. This made me realize I was likely over-stimulated with coffee and it was causing more anxiety. My sleep patterns were a bit odd these nights because I would either go to bed too early one night or too late the next night. When I went to bed too early I woke up around 4am wide awake! Overall, I really noticed I slept better. I experienced a deeper sleep and felt rested.
Day 5-This day I began to be more aware of my body and how I felt. In the morning I had energy, just from my own adrenaline! What a wonderful feeling! I also felt a more steady energy throughout the day.
Day 6- One of my most noticeable changes happened this day because I had to work in the afternoon. I usually have a coffee between 4-5pm to help me get through the shift that ends at 9pm. When I was having that afternoon coffee, I would have a great energy and mood at 5-6pm, but 7pm I would crash. I would feel tired, dizzy, almost as if my blood sugar had dropped. Guess what?! No coffee, NO CRASH! I was so pleasantly surprised with this because I had really struggled with this evening slump.
Day 7- Today I am still feeling a bit tired in the morning, but I know it is from lack of sleep, not from lack of coffee. I still have that natural morning adrenaline rush and I know my energy will be consistent throughout the day!
****Tips that helped me adjust:
-eating apples, a good fibre filled & protein rich breakfast and eating every 3-4 hours
-drinking ginger tea, coconut water, chai tea, matcha green tea and lots of water!
-doing yoga (this really helped with my energy and focusing on my breathing)
-attaining 8 hours of sleep
If YOU are feeling tired all of the time, feel depressed or anxious and do not respond to caffeine anymore, you may want to try kicking the coffee habit! I knew I was dependent and now I am looking forward to recovering my adrenal glands and feeling better!
No comments:
Post a Comment