The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and I’m fumbling around in the cupboard in search for the largest mug humanly possible. Like the majority of teenagers, I am not a chipper morning person. Unless I’ve been awake for approximately an hour and have chugged at least two cups of tea or coffee, I communicate in abrupt, one word sentences and useless hand gestures that leave my family and friends flummoxed. Only once an absurd amount of caffeine has entered my system am I actually ready to face the day. Lately, I’ve realized that I, like most teenagers, suffer from an extreme caffeine addiction, and it’s the probably the unhealthiest aspect of my life, and one of the easiest to fix.

For many teenagers, cutting caffeine out of their daily routine might seem impossible. Everyone is just so insanely busy. Most of us depend on caffeine to keep us going from when we pull ourselves out of bed at six in the morning until we can finally fall back into it at seventeen hours later. But even cutting back a little bit of your coffee intake every day can lead to great outcomes for your mental and physical health. Caffeine has an annoying tendency to keep us lying awake long into the night, so even deciding to only drink caffeine before two in the afternoon can lead to more restful nights and therefore a more cheerful and well rested morning version of yourself, which might in turn lead to only needing one cup of coffee in the morning instead of two or three to feel awake.

Caffeine also causes irritability and restlessness. Attempting to sit still in Geometry class is a lot more difficult when numerous doses of caffeine are pumping through your system, especially when that same stimulant is also causing an internal freak out about the English test next period and frazzling your nerves. Unfortunately, quitting drinking caffeine cold turkey is an impressive feat that most people can’t handle, but that doesn’t mean that you have to inhale cup after cup a day. By gradually easing off the caffeine dependence, you’ll be able to make it through the day on only a cup of two of coffee a day before you know it.

With a little bit of determination and willpower, reaching for the coffee pot first thing every morning won’t be such a necessity anymore, and your body and mind will be very appreciative of your choice.