Impact of caffeine on stress

Contrary to popular belief, that hot cup of coffee you have cravings for during stressful situations is actually not going to help you relax. In fact, coffee will have a negative impact on your mental state and exacerbate a stressful condition. Caffeine is in fact a drug and if you purchase coffee at a cafe you are technically not allowed to consume more than 3 x double espresso servings in your coffee without receiving a health warning. Although this guidance is largely ignored these days as many people jump from cafe to cafe throughout the day ordering Grande coffee sizes with extra shots of espresso in them, it is definitely something to think about.

Caffeine affects your body's hormones including adrenaline among others. When you drink a cup of coffee your body receives a short burst of Adrenaline into your system giving you more energy. However, this is a temporary and false feeling which leaves you fatigued and depressed when it wears off. The body develops cravings for this and you continue to consume more caffeine throughout the day to avoid these "withdrawal" symptoms afterwards. As you need more caffeine to cope with the day you become more agitated, nervous, jumpy, mentally unstable and tense so any stress you suffer is only made worse. By the time you stop drinking coffee and settle down for the night at home, you feel the full affects of the depression and fatigue.

When you drink coffee while stressed you are putting yourself into a highly negative situation and damaging your health further by adding nervousness, agitation and more to an already stressful and tense condition. In addition to this, because of the symptoms you suffer when you stop drinking coffee, you are not allowing your body to recover properly from the stress during the day. Stress alone can cause many mental problems as well as physical conditions. Mental symptoms of stress include anxiety, fatigue, insomnia and depression.

We already know that coffee can cause these symptoms alone when you drink coffee all day and then stop for the evening. If you drink coffee too close to your bed time you will also suffer from insomnia problems and have a restless sleep. It is clear therefore that caffeine will only intensify and add to the problems that stress can cause. You don't need to go all day without a hot drink though. If you are a regular caffeine drinker don't stop all at once as this can be very difficult.

Caffeine can become an addiction like any other drugs so try to just cut down on your caffeine intake and swap out some of your coffee drinks for tea or herbal drinks to cut down on your caffeine intake. Relaxing herbal teas such as Chamomile may also be beneficial to you as a substitute for caffeine during the day. Rooibos tea is also a delicious hot tea drink that contains zero caffeine and can be enjoyed just like UK breakfast tea with milk and sugar.