Stupid Coffee!

​Most of us follow the same pattern every day: wake up, get out of bed, drink coffee. It's a habit that many have succumbed to, and trust me, I have too. For many of us, it's reached the point where we don't even think about it anymore.  It's just a routine, just everyday life - that's a dangerous mindset with anything. Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but I'm beginning to rethink coffee.

​Everyone is different, so I'm not going to judge you if you decide to keep drinking coffee after reading this. It tastes great, it's healthy if you make it that way, and it's energizing - I get it. The problem only arises when one depends on coffee to function. It makes me uncomfortable to think that something so insignificant could become a priority in my day. Even more strange to me is that other coffee-drinkers brag about it. It's as if they've accomplished some goal and they seem to be proud that coffee is a part of their daily life. That, I don't get.

Yes, coffee tastes good, but I don't know why it's become so iconic within our culture. Maybe it's just me, but I think this is getting a little over the top. Seriously, people walk around wearing T-shirts that say "But first, coffee" - is that supposed to be funny? Or, are you just bragging about the fact that you literally can't even think without drinking coffee in the morning? Are you just insecure? Heck, it goes over my head.

I used to hate every aspect of coffee: the taste, the scent, the fact that there's a new cult based around it - all of it. (I'm kidding about that last part by the way, but you get the point.) I didn't start drinking it until I needed more energy due to the lack of sleep. I hated it at first, but over time I developed a habit of drinking it every day.

This past week I got a lot of headaches, and I think it's because I've been drinking too much caffeine. I decided to go back to drinking tea in the morning, and I've been feeling much better during the day. Problem solved! Now that I'm getting out of this habit, my goal is to stay away from coffee as much as possible. Not because I don't get it, just because I don't need it. I think it's generally a good idea to cut out anything that has too much power in your life when it shouldn't. Things like the government, more dangerous addictions, and maybe coffee.