Life without stimulants

I decided to give up coffee at the beginning of March. A couple of weeks before that it was the creamer I quit.

It was not a decision I made lightly. Me and coffee have been buddies for years. It started as a necessity, to get me through the night shift I worked while in school. I'd choke down the TORKE from the department coffee pot around 3 am and it kept me awake until I get home. Except that one time when I got stopped on the draw bridge by a boat, that's a story for a different time.

Sometime after that it became an experience not just necessity. The cup, the habit, the smell, the quiet (I was now able to rise before the kids and enjoy it)...

Years and years went by with me and my morning coffee with just a splash of milk. I was happy.

Then I met "French Vanilla Creamer". Aldi brand. No other would do. I realized I was addicted.

I quit, cold turkey in February. The Creamer, not the coffee. The experience was gone, the plain coffee was bitter and nasty, sweetener tasted so artificial, milk had lost it's allure, I was ruined. But caffeine was mandatory, what was I to do?

Herbal coffee boasted of a natural energy boost, without caffeine! Not too bad mixed half and half with my regular brew. (If you could get past the initial smell of "freshly opened paint can")

Two weeks of that and then I got the flu. As long as I was going to spend the week medicated, I might as well kick the habit for good. No coffee since then.

there seems to be no oomph in my life no punctuation nothing but get through the day do what has to be done survive and function take naps go to bed early wake up late do it all over again no ups no downs just steady slow foggy haze

I do admit, without caffeine my mornings are much better...no headache while I wait for that first cup of coffee to brew, less irritation if someone wakes up before I've had my fix.






But the day, it drags, my get up and go has got up and went.

A glass of water? An apple? Exercise? HA! I scoff at you who would advise such foolishness.

Tea? I have some good stuff, It'll do, but am I trading one addiction for another?

Pepsi. I do admit I sneak one of these occasionally.

Is it possible to live a stimulant free life?

Why do I want to?