How to be Caffeine Free - 5 ways to wake up without coffee

Caffeine gives many people the perfect morning jolt they need to make it through until lunch hour…but for some, the dreaded “caffeine crash” that comes along with a cup of coffee is just not worth the high it initially provides. Try one, or all, of these tips this week in those early morning hours rather than reaching for your usual cup of java.

1. Take a cool shower - not a cold shower! A freezing cold shower will shock your body (making you less than happy) but a cool shower will rev up your senses for the full day of work ahead of you. The clean, refreshing feeling that you experience after taking a shower will energize you and kick-start your day. Don’t have time for a shower in the morning? Splash cold water on your face for a mini pick-me-up.


2. MOVE! Take a brisk walk (or run) around the block in the sun. The exercise will release feel good chemicals to your brain and pump energizing oxygen throughout your body, while exposure to sunlight in the early AM hours increases energy and keeps you alert. Because exposure to sunlight also increases your level of serotonin, your level of fatigue will decrease and your mood will skyrocket.


3. Eat an energizing breakfast. The wrong morning meal will send you straight down the rabbit hole and back into sleep mode before lunchtime. Avoid sugary foods such as danishes, doughnuts, and sweet cereals – the sugar high you get from these will quickly dissolve. Your breakfast should include some complex carbs and proteins. Try egg whites with turkey bacon (hold the salt!) or whole grain cereal with skim milk and fresh fruit.



4. Have an icy cold glass of water. After you roll out of bed and before you do anything else in the morning, the first thing you should do is stumble your way to the kitchen and get a tall glass of icy cold water and drink it in its entirety. Providing your body with fluid in the AM hours will prevent dehydration, which can easily tire your body throughout the day. Not only will the water energize you, but it will also fill you up and make you feel better.


5. Listen to something. Waking up to a radio alarm clock, flipping on the TV during your morning routine, or even turning on your favorite audio book could help you to snap out of sleep mode and into alert mode. Listening to your favorite workout tunes could get your blood rushing and pump you up, while even just engaging yourself in the current events of the TV or radio station could instantly perk up your mood and make you more alert.


Rid yourself of the caffeine dependency, and try to go ‘au natural’ in the morning. Not only will you free yourself of the 3 o’clock caffeine crash you’ll save some serious money in the long run! Happy Energizing!