Whether you are using caffeine-free coffee substitutes or just quitting cold turkey, these strategies and ideas for aiding you in stopping your dependency on coffee are sure to help. It is vitally important to take the right steps so that you can insure your success with the program, and the more effort you put into these exercises, the easier it is to stop coffee for good.

Powerful Tip #1

Get support from like-minded people. Your commitment to stopping coffee for the rest of your life can be made so much easier by discussing it with your family and friends. Of course you may not get much support from those still indulging in the brew so keep that in mind. Look for support online at websites like CaffeineAnonymous.org or CaffeineForums.com and find others like yourself who can be of help.

Powerful Tip #2

Cravings for coffee are most powerful in the morning. It’s a challenge when you walk by a Starbucks and take in the aroma of a fresh brew. But by quitting coffee, you not only save time by not waiting online with the other coffee addicts, you can save yourself up to four bucks a day by passing it by.

Powerful Tip#3

Think about all the reasons you don’t like coffee, the reasons why it’s bad and the reasons you want to stop consumption. Write it down on one paper all the key words. For example, you experience heart palpitations, anxiety, stress, acid indigestion, stained teeth, coffee breath, and it’s expensive and so on.  On the other side of the paper, write down all the reasons why you will feel good when you have succeeded in stopping. You’ll be less anxious, less depressed, have more energy throughout the day, healthier and so on. Refer to that paper when needed.

Powerful Tip #4

Program your mind to feel disgusted by coffee. See if you can recall the moments when you thought to yourself “I have to quit”, or that you were fed up with coffee. Did you just simply feel unhealthy?  Did your physician tell you in no uncertain terms “Quitting is a must” or somebody you know was affected by caffeine dependency. Take a minute to come up with 3 or 4 different times that you felt you were disgusted by coffee. Remember those times as it was happening now, each and every one, so you can make them as clear as daylight. The clearer they are, the easier it will be to kick the habit. Take several minutes to keep going through those memories, over and over again, overlap every memory until you are utterly repulsed by the smell and taste of coffee.

Powerful Tip #5

Think about the consequences of not stopping coffee consumption now, if you let it simply continue. Project yourself 6 months ahead, a year ahead, 5 years if you don’t stop coffee now. Imagine all the detrimental effects of not stopping today and how a simple a decision like this can produce a significant impact on your future. Think how much better your life is going to be when you quit coffee. Really imagine it months from now and stopped successfully. Coffee is a thing of the past, something you use to indulge in. Keep that feeling in you and dream about having it tomorrow, and for the end of next week. Visualize in your mind, the new coffee-free version of you and how it feels to be caffeine-free.

Powerful Tip #6

Try to clear out all caffeinated products from your environment as you will be susceptible to their influence. Dispose of your favorite coffee mug at work and at home. Throw away your coffee maker, sell or give away your espresso or cappuccino machine, dispose of your filters and anything that you used to associate with coffee. Make your surroundings conducive to quitting coffee.

Powerful Tip #7

Coffee addicts use their habit to take little breaks throughout the day. Breaks are ok to take but do it more productively. Go for a short stroll, have a cup of herbal tea or soyfee (caffeine-free coffee alternative) or listen to a podcast. In fact, drink 8-10 glasses of water, juice or milk to help wash out your system. Coffee is a diuretic and causes urinary excretion of calcium which is essential to maintain strong bones. It also depletes the body of folic acid, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. Try to add more fruit in your diet like bananas and green leafy vegetables for at least a couple of weeks after you quit.

Powerful Tip #8

Be conscious about making excuses for yourself. In stressful situations it is very easy to talk yourself into having a cup just like you dealt with it in the past. To prevent any of those old thoughts from popping into your brain, scream the word NO into your head, to stop the thoughts from continuing. Caffeine depletes the adrenal glands which can cause you more stress and anxiety. The more coffee you consume, the more you have to, so just say NO.

Powerful Tip #9