Energy Drinks: Update at 6 Months
I am one week away 6 months without an energy drink. I have been at this stage before, but I am focusing on noticing changes in my thought process, behaviors, and physical sensations to avoid reverting back to drinking 3-4 cans of that anxiety-inducing garbage a day. Here is what I learned so far:
Pink Clouding/Pink Cloud Syndrome: This is a phrase often used by people in recovery who experience a sense of euphoria related to their sobriety. I also experienced this as a began my journey with energy drinks and caffeine. I noticed this euphoric sensation fairly early on at approximately 3-4 weeks into this decision. I began to feel hopeful that this time was different, confidence in myself to avoid drinking energy drinks, and a fixation on health. I became somewhat obsessed with researching the chemicals used to make the drinks and felt overwhelmed with joy that I had made the decision to stop.
This was a much needed paradigm shift in my perspective. However, about a month later, I noticed that emotional high I experienced began to fade. I do not think I experienced a crash, but I certainly noticed difficulty doing things such as basic work around the house, loss of motivation in essential tasks, and more fatigue. The risks of experiencing the pink cloud in regards to sobriety is the theory of what goes up, must come down. This is a critical time in my past when I would fall back into the trap of “rewarding” myself with an energy drink for “pushing through” the day. I am learning to focus on managing my emotions in “waves” to avoid the significant drops. This will be explained more in the next sections.
Change Your Habits: I learned that my reward system was inappropriate. I identified that instead of a reward for working hard, I asked myself what I needed. Typically that answer was relaxation. I began to implement breathing exercises, becoming more mindful (aware of what’s around me/being present), stretching, or going to the gym.
My desire to stop drinking energy drinks was health-based. I added more health-conscious habits to my daily routine. I walk 10,000 steps per day now. Every day since January 1st, no excuses. It’s become fun and relaxing. I noticed that this is the “reward” my body has wanted. I am also reading more, focusing on my water intake, and taking breaks.
Do what works for you. But remember, ask yourself, “What do I need?”
Set Goals: In the past, I have become complacent. I would be happy I could “stop” doing a behavior I was seeking to change that I would oftentimes revert back to it with the thought of “I can stop anytime I want.”
I am looking to eliminate soda from my diet. I also want to be more aware of various additives in my food and drinks that I should avoid. To do this, I am setting small, manageable goals that are measureable and obtainable. I will of course have long-term goals such as losing 25 pounds, but instead of focusing on the weight, I will focus on my objectives. Objectives are the steps needed to reach your goal. So to lose 25 pounds, I need to do A, B, and C. When I focused on the long-term goal without clear objectives, I would fail. This is a huge shift in my thought process. And guess what? It’s working.
Talk: Talking helps. Don’t hold this in an be afraid to talk about your progress and goals. Don’t be afraid to talk about your failures. I have gotten so much positive feedback from my first energy drink post. Those conversations have been so beneficial for me.
Acceptance: Look, this is hard. I am nowhere close to perfect and I certainly am not a picture of health. But I am sick of accepting lower standards for myself. I am sick of the excuses. I am sick of one bad day or bad moment derailing months of work. I am accepting the challenge and I am accepting that every day will not be rosy or filled with motivation.
This post is not meant to be some corny inspirational message or feel-good story. But I do hope someone reads this and can realize that the biggest barrier to reaching your goals is yourself, your habits, and the lies we tell ourselves. I’ve learned a lot so far, but I am not done.
Whatever demons you are fighting, fight like hell to overcome it.
