The Coffee Challenge. How to Break Habits and Start Taking Control of Your Life.

Do you have certain habits? Patterns, which run kind of automatically, subconsciously? Some of them are very useful e.g. when driving your car.

Others may keep you from taking your life to the next level. It’s useful to observe yourself once in a while, and consider which patterns you want to change, or which you actually need to change to achieve your goals, and improve the quality of your life.

If you want to break the routines that impact you negatively, it will usually require determination and some effort, but once you succeed, it will be very rewarding. Let me share my recent experience with you:

I’m a coffee lover. I love the taste, I love the smell, I love the ritual of brewing fresh coffee.

I drink coffee every day. It’s a habit – and I enjoy it. Hardly have I ever questioned whether it’s good or bad for me. Over the years numerous controversial articles about the health impacts of coffee have been published. I have concluded all of them may be correct in some aspects, and I can only assume the positive effects on our bodies may equal the negative ones.

However, I recently studied a book about speed reading, and interestingly an article called “The Energy Advantage” by Dr. Chris Fenn (http://www.chrisfenn.com) was quoted. It was described that staffs on an oil platform who refrained from drinking coffee for a month experienced less moodiness, anxiety, restlessness, and tension. They reportedly also slept more soundly. (for more details: click here and see page 152 ff)

Whether scientifically valid or not, I considered it worth a try and exposed myself to

THE FOUR WEEKS COFFEE CHALLENGE

I knew it would be tough, but I was determined to prove to myself that I am in control of my coffee addiction, and I was curious to experience the effects of abstinence. Furthermore, I told myself that four weeks are a considerable short period of time compared to a whole lifespan. I would survive 28 days without coffee.

The first days were hard. The well known withdrawal symptoms with headache and tense back and neck muscles showed up, and more than once was I tempted to give myself this extra kick of caffeine in the morning or after lunch on a working day.

But after about ten days, it was all fine. And as soon as two weeks had passed, not having any coffee became the new routine. I refrained from having any coke, tea, or any other source of caffeine either. And there was another unexpected effect: somehow, I didn’t enjoy drinking wine or beer anymore!

And today it’s DONE. Done, done, done! And I feel GREAT! Well, my health level has not made quantum leaps, but it is utmost rewarding to know I am in control. It has been an amazing experience and it has given me the confidence that I will break any other habit as soon as I decide so.

SO, WHAT STORY ABOUT BREAKING HABITS DO YOU WANT TO SHARE? Tell me about your experience and successes.

Meanwhile I will consider how to celebrate my success. Maybe tomorrow I will have breakfast at Crepes & Co. (http://www.crepes.co.th/) , my favorite place for brunch in Bangkok – and reward myself with a tasty, fresh, hot Columbia blend. Mmmmmmh!