Little changes - big impact...

I saw thread title and came here to say stopping caffeine. It's like a super power for me, can't believe how much it has changed me

Id also say yoga/pilates/stretching but I just don't do it often enough. I should though as it's awesome

Repeating the phrase "don't put it down, put it away" to myself to try and stop clutter building up. So rather than leaving something on the side, such as the jar of peanut butter, I make a conscious effot to put it back in the cupboard instead of just wandering off with my toast. It sounds so simple and obvious but it's also easy to be lazy.
I'm trying to teach my children the same thing but it's like banging my head against a brick wall!

Little changes – big impact…

Try wiping your arse with the “wrong” hand.

Uninstalling Twitter on my phone. That's the only social media I had on there and I was increasingly finding myself wondering what I was getting out of it apart from getting frequently wound up by awful takes on things and general a$$hattery.

I've not a drop of alcohol for several weeks which is big for me, I've gotten so used to daily drinking I feared that I was heading down the rabbit hole of alcoholism. I feel a whole lot better for it, sleeping better and have more energy.

Id also say yoga/pilates/stretching

I came here to say this. I've spent the last couple of years every little ache and pain, I'm "only" 48 but was feeling like a pensioner.

Since starting a weekly Pilates class (and a occasional online sessions) late last year it feels like my carcass has been rebooted, it's even fixed (mostly) my dodgy shoulder which I knackered in a mountain biking incident 8 years ago!

Another vote for a couple of hours stretching per week and a couple of hours resistance exercises per week, makes a world of difference. All those aches, pains and niggles have vanished and I'm fitter and stronger than I've been in a very long time.

Try wiping your arse with the “wrong” hand.

Will certainly have a considerable  impact on the person who's hand it is.

See also - wiping the wrong arse.

"I’ve not a drop of alcohol for several weeks which is big for me, I’ve gotten so used to daily drinking I feared that I was heading down the rabbit hole of alcoholism. I feel a whole lot better for it, sleeping better and have more energy."

Snap. I went from drinking every day to nothing 8 weeks ago and feel so much better for it. Christmas was a whirlwind of heavy boozing and on the 27th I felt so awful I decided to stop for a bit. I'm planning on getting to 100 days and seeing how I feel. I'm not missing it.

Smaller change but similar revelation with caffeine. Like you I was a massive caffeine drinker. I was persuaded by someone much more clued up than me that caffeine first thing was counter productive to sleep patterns. So no caffeine before 1100 for me no and finished off by lunchtime. I feel so much better.

Michael Mosley's Just One Thing R4 series is a little bit nany state/ learning for idiots in the way it's presented but has some food for thought buried in there if you can handle the presentation style. Probably best to use it as a nudge and go away and do your own less dumbed down research.

Why not before 11am?  I would have thought it would be out of your system  within a couple of hours. I can understand the 'none after lunch' argument, but just asking out of a selfish interest in my 8am double espresso...

Something else I've changed recently that's making a big difference, an early night. Since my early 20's I've always been terrible for going to bed late, usually 12:30-1am, I'm not doing anything worthwhile, surfing and watching a film usually. For the last few months I've made a conscious effort to be in bed before 11pm and it's made a huge difference to how I feel throughout the next day.

now you have ditched the caffeine, stop drinking coffee, water is so much better for you

Why not before 11am?

I can't find the links quickly but its basically all to do with caffeine first thing in the morning suppressing our natural rise of cortisol as we wake and get going in the day. Cortisol naturally helps us feel alert and suppressing it messes with our circadian rhythm The more caffeine you consume first thing, the more you seem to need it to get through the day.

Ah, thanks. By God I feel I need it at 8am though.

now you have ditched the caffeine, stop drinking coffee, water is so much better for you

According to the aforementioned Michael Mosley, coffee is good for you.

But then he says the same about red wine and chocolate!

I have a mid day cut off for tea and coffee. It definitely affects my sleep if I don't. I will often have a decaf in the afternoon though.

I've been experimenting with decaf beans recently and found some really good ones, there is a lot more effort into making decent decaf these days, which is a good thing

Ah, thanks. By God I feel I need it at 8am though

So did I! But now I don't. A bit like a smoker I miss having something to do with my hands and haven't found a decaf substitute I like yet. Maybe need to try different decaf beans.

I was never a big caffeine fiend in my head. Usually drank a few big cups of tea a day and the odd 'proper'coffee ( as in maybe 3 or 4 a week).

A cardiologist suggested I tried stopping it to reduce really bad ectopic beats I was getting that were making exercise and life tough. I wasn't sure as I didn't think I had much really, but since going to decaf tea and coffee I haven't had any for ages.

I limit how much coffee (3 cups a day) and only do decaff. I really notice when I don't have decaff how much it affects me now - I had a nice coffee in a cafe yesterday morning that was full fat and I was wired...

The little change that has had a big impact on me has been budgeting and paying myself first.

Deliberately having a lunchtime walk of minimum 20 mins.

I've not gone cold turkey on caffeine, but I've reduced my daily intake to four cups most days, with the odd day needing a fifth. Been a big caffeine drinker when at home for decades, but with the extra fatigue from long covid, I was typically drinking 8-10 strong cups per day through most of last year.

Been really difficult since new year to keep to the five max per day, because just like the Mirtazapine I was taking Feb-Jul last year, the 50mg Phenergan sleeping tablets are leaving me super groggy the next day. But without sleeping tablets, my sleep quality has been awful for most of the last ~17 months.

"But after 2 months without it and only drinking decaff I’m much more focussed,”
(Where’s the quote function gone?)

Did you get the headaches for days/weeks?
I did. Also, it reduced my consumption of Rennies by 75% .

When eating junk food/takeaways, asking myself "am I actually enjoying this?"

Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's no, but my relationship with food is deninitely changing, and I'm the lightest Ive been for a long time

Did you get the headaches for days/weeks?

Surprisingly not!

Another recent caffeine refusenik here. I used to bang the coffee machine on as soon as my eyes were open in the morning and then keep it running pretty much all day.

For various reasons (mainly just 'life' stuff) I started to suffer from really bad anxiety attacks which had me taking beta blockers to try and calm myself down. I though that maybe stopping the massive amount of caffeine i was taking would help, so I cut down then cut it out completely about 6 months ago

Still have a couple of decaffes in the morning, but my god, quitting the coffee has made a massive difference. I'd agree with everything @the-muffin-man said.

The idea of drinking caffeine again actually scares me

I was advised to cut out caffeine from midday to help with my nighttime trips to the toilet . Been trying it for a month now hasn't made a shit of difference 🙄
My mate can have coffee ( not instant ) before bed and sleeps like a log 🤔🙄

cold shower in the mornings. After 13months of it I can now do 5-10mins without issue, and my shower is cold, colder than a few others I've tried.
Highly recommended for those struggling to wake up without coffee, you'll be wide awake! 🤣

My office has got a fancy fresh ground coffee machine, chances of resisting the pull are pretty slim so I guess I'm doomed to spend my days semi off my t#ts on caffeine

"My mate can have coffee ( not instant ) before bed and sleeps like a log 🤔🙄"

I'm the same... Am espresso after dinner or at midnight makes no difference to my sleep.

However, if I have a coffee in the morning I'm pissing all day long.

Not had a smoke for three or four weeks. Still can't ride up hill without thinking I need either more lung capacity or more gears.

(Where’s the quote function gone?)

I've given up on the quoting and now I feel amazing

Yep, I can also drink coffee before going to bed and it feels like I sleep fine - in a monitored sleep test that may not be the case though?

I gave up coffee a while ago and didn't actually notice any difference. Giving up refined sugar did though.

(Where’s the quote function gone?)

It comes back if you post and then edit.

(Where’s the quote function gone?)

Like that

I just went cold-turkey at the beginning of Dec as my blood pressure was spiking a bit too high for my liking.

And @the-muffin-man what’s it like now?

I gave up coffee a while ago and didn’t actually notice any difference. Giving up refined sugar did though

Same here. Given up a few times for prolonged periods and never noticed a difference.

Littlest change with biggest impact here has been moving my pension to an ethical one. Bank account switch to Triodos next!

there is a lot more effort into making decent decaf these days, which is a good thing

Also alcohol free beers/lagers.

Even when I'm not driving I start with checking out the alco-free offering in the pub.  I seem to have a bit of a sensitivity where a couple of beers can trigger a stinker of a morning head so even though the very nicest beers are by and large still the "full fat" ones when a good alco free is often now on a par with a middle of the road normal one I'll take the clear head. 🙂

I drink a litre of dark roasted coffee all day long. One cup in the morning. The rest throughout the day until midnight.

There were times when I was in a hurry I forgot to drink my cup of coffee but it never bothered me.

But nowadays I reduce them to 4 large tablespoons instead of 5 to 6 tablespoons for a litre in order to cut cost.
Taste wise is roughly the same if the coffee beans are roasted properly.

Yes, blood pressure was high at one point which is due to trouble sleeping (sinus) rather than coffee. Blood pressure has normalised now but still maintain my routine of 1 litre with 4 tablespoons coffee.

  I would have thought it would be out of your system  within a couple of hours.

you’d think. Mean elimination half life of caffeine ~5 hours, range about 1.5 to 9 hours. About a day to get it out on average?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/

Coffee in moderation, seems to be one of the few indulgences that are actually good for us.

@pisco I’ve actually put it on a spreadsheet.

It’s partly to do with looking at my outgoings too.

Coffee in moderation, seems to be one of the few indulgences that are actually good for us.

Other than for those of us it isn't good for 🤣

I have issues with that glass of red wine that is apparently good for us too. Well any alcohol at all actually. Even half a pint just doesn't agree with me. Away the night for my wife's birthday and thought I'll push the boat out and have a pint, of shandy 🤣

I managed a half before feeling hot, flushed, a bit yucky  and knowing it wouldn't end well if I continued. 🤣🤣🤣

@longdog you are correct to have issues with alcohol, there is no safe or beneficial dose.

Some people are more caffeine sensitive than others, and we tend to become more sensitive as we’re older. IME often caffeine side effects are associated with higher consumption levels though, either through energy drinks or excessive coffee consumption.

Yeh I seem to be one of those 'lucky' people who are sensitive to list of things. Sometimes it feels like life in general is one of those things (currently laid up with an arthritic knee that's fared up badly, the other having already been replaced at 48).

I'd never even dream of risking an energy drink as I know it wouldn't end well with me.

I managed a half before feeling hot, flushed, a bit yucky and knowing it wouldn’t end well if I continued

We've all had romantic nights away that have ended like that....

"I had a nice coffee in a cafe yesterday morning that was full fat and I was wired…"

Yeah, it's great isn't it 👍

For those that are worrying about peeing at night, apparently decaf tea/coffee doesn't have the diuretic content removed 🤔 so you are best off opting for something else.

I'm a wannabe coffee snob, love the taste of decent coffee, watching baristas at work.

I'm a little sensitive to caffeine - dodgy guts due to meds, and it can increase my anxiety levels - so only have 1 caffeinated one first thing in the morning, then decaf the rest of the day.

Will look into the question as to whether caffeine interferes with the natural waking up process though, interesting idea.

Been caffeine free for years now after being a 3 coffee a day person. My energy is much more balanced. I will tell you one thing though. The headaches I got in the first week of quitting were like nothing else I ever experienced.

The headaches I got in the first week of quitting were like nothing else I ever experienced.

The headaches quitting caffeine were worse than giving up smoking. I actually found it more difficult giving up tea and relented and went back to drinking it after a week or two last time I tried to quit.

I've tried coffee once, it was some milky thing from a coffee shop that tasted like burnt shit. I had about three mouthfuls and ended up with palpitations and nausea for about 15 minutes afterwards 😂

@reeksy

Made sod all difference to my BP! 🤣

I'm just destined to have permanent high BP it seems (165/105 ish) - I've tried all the usual ways. And I'm on 3 pills a day. Doc isn't overly concerned his view is consistent high is better than spiking blood pressure.

I feel fine, and feel even better since dropping caffeine. I started running again in the new year too, need to lose a stone by summer really.

Someone on here had bad knees and sought advice. Stretching the muscles in your bum was recommended. 30 seconds per leg in the morning and evening and my knees are sorted.

Two things for me.

#1 get up and out of bed 10 mins earlier. This removes the pressure to get things done before I have to leave the house, and gives a buffer in case I do get delayed. To get to work by 8:00 (my choice, other times are available) I need to leave home by 7:10 at the latest. The M4 can be interesting at times.
I used to leave at 7:20, but starting earlier means that there is less traffic and thus a quicker run. So I can arrive earlier and get stuff done. Thus I can then leave earlier too 👍🏼

#2 Have your break, A.K.A. Don't work at lunchtime. I absolutely respect that some people believe that they should work through lunch but I refuse to. I'll chat with colleagues and pupils (I'm a teacher) but that's it. Emergencies excepted, if people, whoever they are cannot organise their time well enough so that they feel compelled to disturb my break then they can wait until I have time. Emergencies are defined as first aid, fire, sickness etc. Real emergencies, not 'something has come up, are you able to...' type emergencies.

I spend my breaks and lunchtimes drinking a coffee! and doing a massive team effort jigsaw with friends.

20 minutes after my Aldi decaf in the morning I need to turd. Can't imagine why.