For years waking up and drinking a cup of English breakfast tea was part of my morning ritual. It was all I could think about and if I ever went a day without it, all hell would break loose.
I’m not proud to admit it, but when I hit the inevitable post lunch slump, I would be compelled to drink another cup to get me through the afternoon. Sometimes I’d even have an earl grey. They were dark times.
Tea was my gateway drug, but it wasn’t long before I was soon downing pints of coffee by the hour. Before I knew it, I had so many stamped loyalty cards that I put my local coffeeshop out of business. It was then that I realised that I had a very serious problem.
To all those reading this who are going through something similar, I am here to tell you - that there is life after tea/caffeine.
Ok, I jest. But in all seriousness whilst caffeine helped me maintain a fantastically regular bowel movement and gave me a much needed boost of energy, the jittery side effects left a lot to be desired.
As I wrote about in my first Substack article, I was diagnosed with ADHD thirteen years ago and since then so much more information has become available on the topic.
At the time I did some initial research on foods I should avoid eating etc, but quickly got distracted and forgot all about it. But over the past eighteen months I have been on a deep dive on everything from what supplements to take, to sleep hygiene.
And whilst I have always enjoyed a good cuppa, it soon became apparent that caffeine was playing a part in exacerbating my anxiety.
So six months ago I made the decision to go cold turkey and kick the habit. It was around this time that I began experimenting with breathwork. I began attending workshops and was shocked at how powerful it was.
It left me feeling calm, energised and focused. Soon I began incorporating it as part of my morning routine and quickly realised that it was having a similar affect on me as that precious morning brew.
Then I would add a second round of breathwork after lunch, which provided me with the energy boost I needed to get me through the afternoon. It wasn’t long before I stopped craving caffeine. Next stop, chocolate.
I’m proud to say that I am now caffeine free and a certified breathwork evangelist. Looking back, it makes perfect sense that I decided to become a qualified facilitator. The breath provides us with a powerful tool to heal, anchor and energise ourselves.
Soon I will be launching my website and offering breathwork and mindfulness sessions to all my fellow ADHDers and creatives. If you’re interested to find out more, send me a message.
In the meantime, keep up the good fight.
