A Strange thing happened on the way to the coffee maker…
I started drinking coffee when I was twelve. Someone told me it would stunt my growth and I really wanted to stop growing. I was 5′9″ by then. Did didn’t work. I grew another two inches by fourteen. What did happen is that I suddenly grew to like the little jolt I’d get in the morning from my coffee. Then I started drinking tea with my parents at supper time. There is something wonderful about sitting down and sharing a nice cup of tea with people you love.
As you know, my doctor told me I had to give up all caffeine because of my low blood pressure. I’m down to one cup of tea in the morning, and drink nothing but caffeine-free herbal tea. Last week sucked. I had complete stupid head for most of the week. Heck, Monday sucked because I had MAJOR stupid head and a headache.
But yesterday I must have passed over some sort of hump, because something happened to me that hasn’t happened in several months. I stayed up writing until midnight. Now, I’m normally a morning writer. Get me up at 5am and give me my laptop and I’m a happy camper. At night though, I can usually only make it to 10pm before I’m drained from my work day.
Not last night! I managed to get the second chapter done on a new WIP I’m working on, and did my first round of major edits on Perfect Match (thanks Red - Rick is fixed!!). I probably would have stayed up for another hour if my hands weren’t getting soar from all the typing I was doing.
Why do I think this is related to giving up caffeine? Before now, at night I always felt like I was crashing. I’ve always assumed it was from having a busy day job, but it seems to be more than that. I would pump myself so full of tea and coffee that my system would have to come down off the high sooner or later. Hence my crashing.
I hope I’m right. Because I feel so much more productive because of what I accomplished last night. So my question to you is, would you give up something you loved if you knew it would make you more productive as a writer?
(I’m still not giving up chocolate!)
May 30th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Oh no! Not chocolate. Never give up chocolate. We all need our little vices.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Hey Christine - wow, that sounds like a busy night and I’m so happy you got Rick down!!! Can’t wait to read that one again! As for the caffeine crash, I think I get it at midnight…so yep, your theory sounds on target to me. My answer to everything is, yes, I think I would very happily stop doing something I love if it would make me more productive. I’ll bet I love writing better. =)
May 30th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Interesting theory, Christine…
I love coffee, but I’m strictly a 1-3 cups and NEVER after 5pm kind a gal.
Once I drank a red bull in the middle of the afternoon and was comatose (literally, couldn’t move my limbs) by 8pm and my hubby says that I ‘crashed’. First time I ever experience that. Wow.
If there was something to give up for writing (food wise) I’d do it. In the meantime, I’m having a hellava time just weaning myself off of blogs everyday!
May 30th, 2007 at 11:09 am
You’re so good!
I gave up caffeine for a little while last year. I felt better and slept better.. But I found that I missed the taste of caffinated coffee. I hated decaf. So I went back.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Drinking decaf is like trying to eat air.
Giving up coffee is worth it for the burst of creativity, though. I’ve recently given up several food items to lower my migraine severity. There is nothing like realizing painfree hours can exist by avoiding things even if you love, love, love them! Not sure if the memory of your productivity will be strong enough to withstand the intoxicating aroma of coffee… But I hope so!
May 30th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
I love a good cup of Timmy’s, but unfortunately about ten years ago I discovered a direct correlation between caffeine and depression for me. I have no idea why, but if I drink caffeine, then I can lay odds that when it wears off I’ll crash into a major - and I mean MAJOR - depression afterwards. So I stay away from it. I do drink tea - two cups in the morning - heavy on the milk, what my mum would call ‘baby tea’ because it was so weak you could give it to a baby, and not after 3 p.m. I drank a Diet Pepsi the other day at about 4 p.m. and regretted it that night - I couldn’t sleep, it was like I was completely buzzed - and the next day couldn’t get my head clear.
But you know, now that I think on it, my writing really kicked in ten years ago - which is the same time I gave up coffee. (Of course it’s the same time I stopped working which gave me time to write and stop stressing about work) I wonder if there is a correlation with the caffeine though.
By the way, did you know that people with ADHD will often drink coffee in the morning because instead of making them hyper the way it does most people, it’ll actually slow them down and make them able to pay attention? It was in a study a while back - doctors were actually recommending you give it to your child before they went to school, instead of ritalin.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Sorry, I am too addicted to even think of giving up the hard stuff. I cut down when I was pregnant and nursing but not completely. I actually don’t consume that much anymore, my addiction is more in my head.
May 31st, 2007 at 10:52 am
Im sure Caffeine or at least alot of the affects of caffeine are all in the brain. Though sorry, I am not going to risk it!
May 31st, 2007 at 10:57 am
My addiction is more centered around sugar. I’ve cut down significantly more out of an interest in making my diet more healthy. My cola intake is significantly reduced however I find myself continually craving some sort of snack. I know I will be better off without so much of it. It’s a struggle. Not something that I would succeed at for a prolong period if I tried cold turkey. Instead I’m working on it little by little.