As I write this, it’s hard to believe we’re already in February of 2024. This first month of the year has gone by fast! As I sit here at my favorite coffee shop, I’m reviewing my intentions for this first month of the year and how they’ve panned out.
No Alcohol or Caffeine in January
I successfully went 31 days without alcohol or caffeine (or cannabis, in case you were wondering).
Giving up alcohol for a month was easy, and frankly felt great. I had almost no desire to drink this month, my sleep was great, and going forward, I feel like keeping my alcohol consumption to a minimum.
Caffeine was more challenging. For the first two days, I had headaches, and ended up taking a couple of ibuprofen to get through it.
After the headaches subsided, the main benefit I noticed from stopping caffeine was a substantial reduction in anxiety, especially in situations where my symptoms might normally peak (driving in bad traffic, for example).
This would have been worth it, except that I also struggled with motivation and focus throughout the entire month.
Like my friend
over at The Curious Contrarian, who also took the month off from caffeine, I noticed that my energy levels stayed steady throughout the day, instead of peaking in the morning and crashing in the afternoon. Unlike Arman, it seems, my baseline energy level without caffeine was low.I did okay with seeing clients—the lack of caffeine made me very calm—but when it came to writing, marketing, progress notes, bookkeeping, and other computer or paper-based tasks, I just couldn’t seem to motivate myself to sit down and focus.
I felt spacey and day-dreamy throughout the day and the month. Sometimes this was pleasant, but other days I felt depressed and frustrated with my seeming inability to get things done.
It reminded me of what I used to feel like as a teenager, before I started drinking coffee or tea on a daily basis.
Which raises some interesting questions for me, namely: do I have some kind of underlying neurodivergence, like undiagnosed inattentive-type ADHD? Have I been using caffeine to self-medicate for the last 20 years, since my freshman year in college?
Like the ADHD drugs Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (straight up amphetamine salts), caffeine is a stimulant.
In addition to triggering the release of adrenaline and cortisol, caffeine boosts dopamine signaling in the brain by increasing the sensitivity of dopamine receptors. As you’ve probably heard by now, dopamine is key to motivation, and also to mood. Low levels of dopamine can result in feeling depressed and unmotivated, and there’s some evidence that caffeine, in moderation, can help.
So here we have a paradox: as I noted in a previous post, caffeine can make anxiety and panic attacks worse, but it might help with depression and ADHD symptoms.
Ultimately, despite the anti-anxiety benefits I experienced going caffeine-free, I could hardly wait to to start up again on February 1st, when I marched into my favorite coffee shop and ordered a half-caf flat white. It was delicious, and I felt a noticeable boost in alertness, motivation, and mood all day.
Language Learning
I used Duolingo every day in January, and because I started before the new year, I currently have a 45 day “streak.” In that time, according to Duo’s stats, I’ve learned 188 words (some of which, however, I already knew from growing up in San Diego) and completed Section 1 of the course.
I’ve enjoyed using Duolingo so far, but I also know from my research that it’s not the most effective way of learning a language. Over the coming months, my intention is to try supplementing it with other learning materials, like books, podcasts, movies, YouTube videos, and maybe even some private lessons. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments!
Over to You
How are your intentions for 2024 panning out so far? Are you feeling motivated and connected to your values and goals, or struggling to get started? Any cool projects you’re working on? I’d love to hear what you’re up to.
That’s all for this week! As always, I appreciate your feedback on Mindful Mondays. Feel free to reply to this email or leave a comment on Substack to let me know what you thought.
Thanks for reading,
Chris Cordry, LMFT
PS: Feel like you could use some support around your intentions for 2024? Just reply to this email with “coaching” and we’ll set up a free 20-minute call to see if working with me could be a good fit for you.
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These fasts are always instructive. I gave up caffeine for Lent a few years and oh did the Monday after Easter feel like, idk, a resurrection. Which told me a lot 🤣
Great post, Chris!! Another fun way to improve your Spanish is by immersing yourself - and fortunately Baja California is a short drive (or trolley ride!) away! ¡vamos!