4 ms·

No thanks. Caffeine really does make life better. A tolerance forms but the pleasure of it never goes away

jackson1442 5y ago
Strongly agreed. I work remotely and going to a coffee shop for grab a coffee mid-afternoon and get some work done is a massive part of my workflow. A change in scenery helps kickstart my brain, combined with caffine it helps draw me out of my mid-afternoon lull into the most productive hours of my day.
- tharkun__ 5y ago
  I won't argue against coffee in general, as I'm definitely enjoying it too. But have you never wondered what ~1-2 weeks of withdrawal could net you? I'd have to find the sources again but basically all the caffeine does now is to bring you back up to the levels that your brain would have had without the daily mini withdrawals and to mislead you into thinking you are awake and/or more productive. As in, without any caffeine ever, your morning would not be bad until your first coffee. Your afternoon lull would not be a caffeine deprivation lull until you get the boost back up. Students trying to stay awake on caffeine to finish that paper or whatever are not magically doing great work. In fact, their brain is just as bad at what they're trying to do as if they didn't have caffeine but their conscious mind doesn't notice, because of the caffeine signaling them that they're more alert and awake than they are.
  - jackson1442 5y ago
    I’ve done it a few times over the past year and noticed that really the only thing that changes is that I stop getting headaches on days I don’t drink coffee. I don’t generally use coffee to “wake up,” in face I really only have it in the morning if it’s a _really_ early day for me or if I’m at a hotel where it’s served free or something. Most of my consumption is around 4pm, and I find that it helps me zero in on tasks better and just grind some code out. It doesn’t make me jittery or anything, not unless I have an empty stomach. I might be an outlier, but I generally find it’s a net positive.
Marsymars 5y ago
A lot of it is the habit of coffee. I switched to only decaf a few years ago, and make myself a nice pour over most mornings. I still love the routine and the coffee, but I don't miss the caffeine, and I sleep better. (It is harder to get good decaf beans, and there's less variety, but there are great decaf beans available.)

Strongly agreed. I work remotely and going to a coffee shop for grab a coffee mid-afternoon and get some work done is a massive part of my workflow. A change in scenery helps kickstart my brain, combined with caffine it helps draw me out of my mid-afternoon lull into the most productive hours of my day.

tharkun__ 5y ago
I won't argue against coffee in general, as I'm definitely enjoying it too. But have you never wondered what ~1-2 weeks of withdrawal could net you? I'd have to find the sources again but basically all the caffeine does now is to bring you back up to the levels that your brain would have had without the daily mini withdrawals and to mislead you into thinking you are awake and/or more productive. As in, without any caffeine ever, your morning would not be bad until your first coffee. Your afternoon lull would not be a caffeine deprivation lull until you get the boost back up. Students trying to stay awake on caffeine to finish that paper or whatever are not magically doing great work. In fact, their brain is just as bad at what they're trying to do as if they didn't have caffeine but their conscious mind doesn't notice, because of the caffeine signaling them that they're more alert and awake than they are.
- jackson1442 5y ago
  I’ve done it a few times over the past year and noticed that really the only thing that changes is that I stop getting headaches on days I don’t drink coffee. I don’t generally use coffee to “wake up,” in face I really only have it in the morning if it’s a _really_ early day for me or if I’m at a hotel where it’s served free or something. Most of my consumption is around 4pm, and I find that it helps me zero in on tasks better and just grind some code out. It doesn’t make me jittery or anything, not unless I have an empty stomach. I might be an outlier, but I generally find it’s a net positive.

Marsymars 5y ago

A lot of it is the habit of coffee. I switched to only decaf a few years ago, and make myself a nice pour over most mornings. I still love the routine and the coffee, but I don't miss the caffeine, and I sleep better. (It is harder to get good decaf beans, and there's less variety, but there are great decaf beans available.)