I finally kicked energy drinks out of my drafting routine.

Sugar highs wreck your focus when you need it most.

4 comments

4 Comments

What are you replacing them with? I tried to switch to black coffee but it just made me bounce off the walls. One time I had a monster before my route and my hands were shaking so bad I almost put mail in the wrong boxes for a whole street.

hall.joel1mo ago

My friend Dave switched to green tea after his doctor told him his heart was racing. I mean, your story about the mail route sounds exactly like what he went through. It's like we're all hooked on this idea that we need to be wired to get things done. You see it everywhere, from students pulling all-nighters to folks working double shifts. But then the crash hits or you get those shakes, and it just makes everything harder. Maybe it's just me, but finding a balance seems way better than bouncing off the walls.

angela_harris1mo ago

That line about bouncing off the walls really hits home. I was the same way, swore I needed that strong coffee jolt to start my day. What changed for me was actually switching to half-caff coffee, like @hall.joel mentioned trying tea. I still get the warm mug and the little boost, but without the crazy shakes or the crash later. It took a week for my body to adjust, but now I feel steady all morning. Have you ever tried mixing regular with decaf to step it down slowly?

uma_williams12d agoTop Commenter

Honestly, I read this article about how energy drinks can mess with your sleep even if you have them early. It said the crash makes you tired, but your brain stays in a light sleep stage, so you never really rest. Like you might sleep eight hours but still feel wiped out the next day. That's when I started paying attention to my own afternoon slumps. Cutting them out was rough for a week, but now I just drink a ton of water and feel way more even.