We are celebrating National Caffeine Awareness Month this March.  Over 80% of Americans consume caffeine in some form each day, most commonly in coffee. Research studies have shown that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day (300-400 milligrams per day) has no adverse effects for most persons. In fact, there are some beneficial effects of caffeine consumption to include improved mood and increased mental awareness. In part, this comes from caffeine’s blockage of adenosine receptors which act as depressants. However, too much caffeine consumption has negative effects to include increased anxiety, sleep disorders, as well as increased heart rate and blood pressure. In the mental health arena I am familiar with the psychiatric diagnoses of caffeine induced anxiety disorders such as panic states as well as caffeine induced sleep disorders. These represent extreme states of dysfunction secondary to excessive caffeine intake. Given that most people will not give up their caffeine (including me and my morning coffee), what are some tips and strategies to try to manage and limit your caffeine intake?

Get enough sleep. Then you will need less caffeine during the day. Most people need 7-8 hours per day but often get less in our busy world.
Engage in exercise. This gets your body active, including your heart, blood flow, and your general metabolism.
Get active and take a walk several times a day outdoors or around your building. As you move about you get energized and if you go outside you absorb Vitamin D. You will feel more alert.
Take some deep breaths way down in your stomach. With deep breathing, you get more oxygen to your brain and feel more alert, less sleepy, and have less need for caffeine.
Keep busy. Activity builds on itself. If you stall on some major project, engage in smaller projects that can be done more quickly. While this might seem to violate the tenets of time management in staying with the high priority task, sitting around inactive too long will result in the kind of decreased alertness and drowsiness which may drive you to the coffee pot.

So, you need not entirely give up your caffeine but rather manage it before it manages you. If you can tell yourself that you can manage it you will. As I always say, “Change your thoughts, change your results”.