to be thinking about drinking coffee...

[nervesonnerves]

(lighthearted!) I've never drunk coffee (53 yrs old). However, I am finding it increasingly difficult to get up and have the energy to get through the mornings (especially in winter), and so many friends claim they couldn't do it without their morning fix!

Would it really help me get through the day or is it a really bad habit to start?

YABU - don't start a new bad habit now if you are managing without

YANBU - drink coffee! I love my morning coffee and my day is better for it!!

Caffeine is a bladder irritant. If you have the slightest tendency to cross your legs when you sneeze, I would avoid it.

I have my first coffee in my first hour at work and a second around 11am

We have Nespresso Vertuo machines at work & I have one at home, so it is decent coffee.

Try it and see if it works for you.

Our weekend treat is coffee & a pastry at 11am - by then we've let go of the week & relaxed & it's a nice half hour together

As bad habits go it’s one of the more benign. I drink a cup maybe two or three mornings a week but I can’t say it’s something that helps me get up and start the day (though I can drink coffee right before bed and still sleep) and suspect that it’s the association of coffee and liveliness rather than the caffeine itself that makes many people think coffee makes them superpowers.

I find that getting up early and exercising gives me more energy on winter mornings. If I hide in bed and fester I usually end up in a worse mood.

Don't start. It's false energy. I say this as a coffee addict.

From a former 10-15 cups a day caffeine addict - don't do it 😂

On a serious note though it's fine to have a cup in the morning to give you a little pep, but the energy from it does wear off quickly. Can just help you drag your eyelids open on a grey day. Smells gorgeous too.

I've always loved coffee and definitely find it helps me get up in the morning, I don't think it's particularly bad for you unless you drink it a lot. I usually have 2-3 cups a day mainly because I love the taste.

Would it really help me get through the day or is it a really bad habit to start?
Yes and probably! As bad habits go though, it's hardly up there with crack. Why not try the odd one and see if it makes any difference to your energy levels or not? Depending on how you are with bitter flavours generally, you could start with something like a latte, made with lots of milk, or add a bit of sugar. You don't have to go from never drinking it to having 20 a day, but if you enjoy it and it makes the mornings a bit less painful then why not just have one when suits.

Do what you like but a couple of coffees a day is not a “bad habit”. The way some people go on about coffee, you’d think it’s on a par with cocaine or speed. It isn’t.

I think it would be better to deal with the tiredness - I take a swath of supplements, and I feel dramatically better for them, but unfortunately I don't know which ones are the ones making the difference 😭

I do like coffee a little later in the morning but wouldn't have one first thing - too strong for the taste buds after just emerging from sleep (as I like it black).

For me there's nothing beats starting the day and getting the old cogs whirring again than a nice cup of tea! How about trying that?

Thank you for all your comments and replies :)

I have a plumber here this morning, and when I offered him a tea/coffee he said that he has Red Bull in the mornings. Maybe I should try that too?!

Oh, and yes, I can take or leave coffee (it goes in phases) but the one thing I can never do is have coffee within an hour of not being near a toilet - my bladder very much protests.

On the other hand, my digestive system seems to quite like the morning boost - if you know what I mean.

Red Bull is much worse, I'm sure! Coffee or tea is fine, and a warm drink on a cold morning is quite soothing too.

I’m a raging caffeine addict since my teens and I’m in my 40’s ,In my defence there’s some good research suggesting it helps reduce the risk of certain kinds of dementia and it’s good for the liver.
I have an extremely full on life and deal with a lot of stress and have a chronic illness (not lifestyle related)
Ive never had a gym membership, dont exercise except for gardening and playing with kids in the pool in summer, I eat crap at will and I like wine. I’m a size 12 and dont have any wrinkles. It can’t be that awful.

I have one in the morning and then switch to tea. Helps me wake up. I did used to drink a lot more but too much left me a bit dependent on it and I got headaches when I didn’t have caffeine. Also not great for your teeth.

Do you drink tea? Or anything else with caffeine like Coke?

if not you might want to start with tea- going from no caffeine whatsoever straight to coffee might be a bit much and make you jittery.

More than likely you are just a bit burnout out and run down by the weather and time of year and general life exhaustions. I'd try natural things like getting outside first thing in the morning for a walk or some fresh air. More exercise during the day. Better sleep. Make sure you're otherwise healthy.

Coffee is just stimulant. Yes, will wake you up a bit initially, but you crash and get sleepier after than you would if you didn't have any at all. I'm a coffee drinker and I enjoy it, but if you've never had it til now, I see no reason to start. I actually gave up caffeine for several years at one point and I felt alert and energised every morning just like I'd had a coffee, because I wasn't dependent on a stimulant and my body naturally woke up. If you aren't do that, I'd look to figure out why, rather than just adding something to perk you up temporarily.

I am a huge coffee addict and I would not be happy at all if I had to go without for a day (so my pregnancies were great fun 😆). I would say if you're not a coffee drinker already, don't do it.

What are your existing morning habits? I'd try something like cold water with lemon juice and ginger, eggs on toast, a multivitamin and a 10 minute stretch. Do that every day for a few weeks and see if that makes any difference!

I know people say it only gives you expensive urine but personally, taking vitamins has made a huge difference to me. I don't care if they're just placebos 🤣

Good coffee is my greatest daily pleasure and I highly recommend it.

And there are health benefits

I never found that coffee gave me energy or made me feel less tired, I just liked the taste. Since I had covid I can no longer stand it.

Well don't go over the top like the occasional idiot who makes the news by chugging a ridiculous amount in a short space of time and ODing on caffeine (I've known people who drink only coffee most days and have never done this, so fuck knows what these people are doing?!) but no reason not to give it a go! Research suggests coffee is actually quite good for the liver and reduces the risk of developing certain diseases.

I think it would be a nice treat for you now and again. Well done for never drinking it, I'm 35 and have been drinking it often for the last 10 years!

Loads of responses on this thread are so weird 😆

Have a coffee and enjoy it! For me it's not the energy it gives, it's just pleasurable to have a hot drink that tastes good.

Tea has about half the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. So if you're drinking two cups of tea in the morning it's probably the same :)

I've read that one or two coffees a day can be good for you. I usually start with a tea or two, then have a coffee mid morning - and then back to tea, with decaf tea or herbals after about 5pm.

Lots of coffee and especially later in the day probably is 'bad habit' territory.