Being Stimulant-Free

Being Stimulant(ˈstimyələnt)-Free

By Steve Pavlina

I like being 100% stimulant free – no coffee(ˈkôfē), caffeinated(ˈkafəˌnādəd) tea, chocolate(ˈCHäk(ə)lət), caffeinated soda, etc.

This means no decaf(ˈdēkaf) either since decaf still contains some caffeine(kaˈfēn).

I base this on lots of personal experimentation(ikˌsperəmənˈtāSH(ə)n). I’ve gone some years of my life with no stimulants, and I’ve also gone for long stretches(streCH) consuming coffee daily. The two modes(mōd) of living are notably(ˈnōdəblē) different.

Caffeine tends to make me obsess(əbˈses) more over trivialities(ˌtrivēˈalədē) and lose focus on big picture goals. I see this pattern in other coffee drinkers often – lots of busywork type of thinking on low criticality(ˌkridəˈkalədē) items. It seems to make some people have a harder time focusing on long-term projects and avoiding short-term distractions(dəˈstrakSH(ə)n).

When I consume coffee daily, I’ll check email more often. I’ll spend more time on social media. I’ll web surf(sərf) more. I’ll invest in minor(ˈmīnər) tasks that don’t need to be done. I’ll spend more time organizing and reorganizing instead of moving the needle(ˈnēdl) forward on big projects. I’ll open more loops than I close. I’ll feel extra busy but have less to show for it.

Stimulants always drain(drān) me eventually, especially after months of daily use. That’s true even for a single espresso(eˈspresˌō) shot or a single cup of green tea per day. It always leads to adrenal(əˈdrēnl) exhaustion(iɡˈzôsCH(ə)n), and then I need to take at least several weeks off. I know I’m at this point when I can’t seem to make good progress on bigger projects, and I can tell that my mind is becoming too chaotic(kāˈädik). I might spend 8 hours at my desk and get 90 minutes of important work done.

I love the taste(tāst) of coffee, and it’s delightful(dəˈlītfəl) to drink a cup of it, but I’ve learned that I can’t really have an occasional(əˈkāZHənl) relationship with it if I want to function at my best. It’s way too addictive(əˈdiktiv) for me. If I have even a small amount, I risk slipping into the pattern of having it daily for months.

I’ve learned that it’s best to avoid chocolate too (including cacao(kəˈkou)) because chocolate is a gateway(ˈɡātˌwā) drug(drəɡ) back to coffee. Same goes for green tea. So while I have enjoyed those in the past, I feel safer steering(ˈstiriNG) clear of them. I like how my brain works better when not under the influence of stimulants.

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https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2020/05/being-stimulant-free/