Lifestyle Changes

I used to drink coffee like it's water.

Back in college, I'd order an iced caramel latte with three shots of espresso. And if I'm studying through the night, I'd order another cup of coffee, maybe a double cappuccino. I was coffee-dependent. I had the morning symptoms of a coffeeholic—irritable and lethargic before my first cup.

I gradually lessened my caffeine intake, as I've come to understand the effects on the body. It was disruptive, and I didn't like being dependent on it.

The past month and a half, I've only had 3 cups of coffee, one of them decaffeinated. And I ordered them at Starbucks only to have something to drink, because I was there for a meeting. I didn't like the other options.

I'll probably go back to drinking a cup a day in the future, but it feels good to have this extreme change. I feel lighter, and my energy levels are more stable. The best part of it is knowing I can do it. I can live without it. I don't even look for it anymore.

There are many things in our lives that we think are so important, but we can actually do without. We've entwined them so closely into our daily lives, that they now seem integral for us to function well.

We must regularly evaluate how we live, remove excesses, and remind ourselves of what's truly essential.

What are habits you're better off replacing?