I remember sitting on the toilet at the hospital while my wife sat in the birthing class. I was experiencing extreme anxiety symptoms and could hardly keep it together. I was having stomach issues, had a hard time breathing, thought I was going to throw up, and my vision was blurry. Having a baby is a big life change and my anxiety was through the roof.

One and a half weeks ago my wife and I went into escrow for our first home. It’s a really exciting endeavor, but we’re also a bit stressed about all the paperwork, moving with a baby, and getting our finances in order.

Over the weekend, after excitingly putting together a spreadsheet of potential home renovation projects, I started to feel light headed. My heart felt a little too fast, and my breathe was shallow.

I was experiencing some light high-functioning anxiety. It wasn’t as intense as the birthing class incident, but it was there.

Both of these stories are about times when caffeine hurt rather than helped. On most days, my coffee helps me wake up. If I actually had time to brew good beans then it’s also super tasty. However, on most days, coffee is a necessity. The gas to my car engine.

Most people reading this will know that stress + coffee = anxiety, but it’s so easy for me to forget.

In both stories above I was going through life changes. One is much bigger than the other, but changes nonetheless.

After that horrible birthing class experience, I texted my mentor. He responded with “Have you been drinking coffee?”

Obviously, I had. I’m a coffee nerd who dabbles in Keurig when I need to. It’s baked into my routine and I rarely think about what it does to my body. Most days it’s not a big deal, but when I’m going through a big life change—that’s when caffeine hurts.

After that short text conversation, I decided to drop out of drinking coffee—cold turkey.

And the wild thing is? I didn’t notice. I wasn’t groggy in the morning, and I wasn’t tired at two p.m. I was fine, and I didn’t drink coffee until after Lottie was born. And even then I would sip it every now and then.

At that point in time I didn’t need caffeine because I was so adrenalized by the fact I would be a father soon.

I am currently not drinking coffee due to the house purchase. So far, I’ve only had slight headaches, but my energy level is typical.

Every month I do a quick writeup of every show, movie, and game I engaged with during that month. It’s a way for me to capture my thoughts and turn my consumption of media into something more thoughtful.

I find it funny that I do this with media, but not with food.

I don’t drink alcohol often, but when I do I make sure I’ve been well hydrated and feel healthy. Why don’t I do that for coffee?

The body is pretty delicate; one thing goes wrong and the dominoes can start to fall. I’ve learned that coffee should be consumed thoughtfully.

Drink responsibly.