Having an addiction can feel a lot like insanity at times. In fact it often seems like there are two distinct people operating inside your head.

On one hand there’s the you who knows the caffeine is having a bad effect on your health. You’re sick of being a nervous wreck, tired of the splitting headaches, and ready to get rid of that burning feeling in your gut from too many cups of acidic coffee.

You may even become so frustrated with your inability to quit that you end up in tears. Why the hell can’t you just stop drinking the @#$%^! coffee?

Then there’s the other side of you: This persona often asks “What’s the big deal?”

When in this mode you wonder why you wanted to quit in the first place. You talk yourself into just having one cup and not making a big deal of it.

Naturally one cup turns into 8 and you’re back to being an emotional wreck about the whole deal. It’s incredible when you stop to think about it.

How on earth can something have this kind of hold on you? I mean, we’re not talking about cocaine or heroine here… this is ust caffein for goodness sake!

The truth is, an addiction is serious business no matter what chemical you’re dealing with. In fact we can become addicted to the natural chemicals our bodies release during certain emotional responses!

It’s not easy to stay focused knowing that after you’ve gone without your fix for a while, that other you will emerge and try to talk you into pouring yourself another cup or having an energy drink.

One little trick that can help you here is to write yourself a note, or several notes. When you’re sick to death of your addiction write it down and be as dramatic as you want. Then put this note in your wallet or stick it on your fridge or workdesk, and look at it when you start to think from the wrong center.

This works really well for most people.

Another course of action is to get support from others. Involve your friends and family and put together a support group.

If you can get people who care about you to hold you accountable for your desire to quit, you’ll be less likely to break from your game plan. Give your support group permission to call you out on a backslide and embarrass you if needed.

Beign aware of the “other you” is a great start. It means you’re being real about your desire to change.

For a complete guide on how to quit caffeine check out my downloadable special report. I used this system myself to ditch the habit and it can help you as well.

Quit caffeine more easily by changing your addictive routine. This article will show you how.

We get really used to having our coffee at a certain time, even in a certain place, every morning. Or we develop a steady habit of always having our tea or energy drink right after lunch.

Whatever your specific habit is, you’re no doubt very comfortable with it. You’re not just hooked on the chemical caffeine; you’re totally dialed into everything about your current routine.

Addiction counselors and people who have successfully broken long-term chemical habits will tell you that mixing things up is one of the best tactics you can employ when you decide to quit caffeine. In fact people in 12 step programs say if you’re used to putting your left shoe on first each morning, switch to stepping into your right shoe first from now on.

Have you sat at your kitchen table morning after morning for the last ten years with a cup of coffee? From here on in eat breakfast on your couch, or standing at the sink.

Does your routine involve stopping by a drive-in coffee shop on the way to work every day? Find a juice bar on the other side of the street and start picking up a smoothie instead, or better yet buy a blender and start making your own fruit treats at home.

Do you and your co-workers ordinarily sit in the break room and drink a pot of coffee every day at 11 a.m. sharp? From now on you should take your break outside or in the building’s lobby at 10:45.

The above scenarios are examples of how to shake things up when it comes to your usual caffeine consumption times. But don’t stop there. To quit caffeine with minimal effort you should find ways to completely rearrange your daily program.

Change the order of your morning ritual. If you normally brush your teeth first and shower second, reverse this. If you’ve been laying your clothes out on a chair in your bedroom each night before bed, start hanging them in your bathroom instead. Anything you can do to take yourself off autopilot will help.

Our bodies become programmed with a routine after a while. Most likely you could walk through your morning schedule with your eyes closed. This type of conditioning is useful and has its place, but when you’re ready to quit caffeine your prior programming will work against you.

You might even toss something completely new into your usual procession. If you don’t ordinarily exercise in the morning now is a great time to start.
A few minutes of light stretching or a walk around the block is sufficient. Exercise will improve your bodies’ ability to cope with the stress of change and it will give you a natural lift to help replace the synthetic rush you get from caffeine.

Don’t just change your mornings. Take your whole day into a new direction.

You probably have routines and rituals built up throughout the day and right up until you go to bed. Mix things up as much as possible in all areas of your life to avoid falling into a rut and to decrease the likelihood of being able to just reach out and grab a caffeine fix because it was convenient.

You’ll be surprised by just how effective this strategy can be. When you change your routine, you alter the flow of your whole life, and this makes it much easier to initiate and sustain change.

Quit caffeine more easily with an active approach. Instead of just sitting there doing without your daily fix, use the tactics in this article to cruise to a caffeine free life in no time!

It’s much easier to quit caffeine when you use a simple exercise routine as part of your program for recovery. Exercise will make you feel great, and it will enhance your ability to cope with the stress of change. And the good news is, you don’t have to join a gym or become a fitness fanatic for this to work.

In fact with just 15 minutes of light walking you can increase your heart rate, pump adrenaline into your bloodstream, and increase your endorphin levels. You’ll get a real lift without crashing an hour later.

Endorphins are your body’s natural painkillers. They can put you into a state of euphoria not unlike a chemical high, and a steady flow of this natural juice relieves the pain of withdrawal and improves your overall motivation.

Interestingly, you don’t have to engage in highly physical activity to stimulate your endorphins. Your body will also release these feel good chemicals each time you set and accomplish a goal.

Research shows that your body uses this simple but effective reward system to keep you engaged in the game of life. You’ve probably noticed that little rush you get when you nail a deadline or get all the items checked off of your Saturday home improvement list.

The pleasure, relaxation, and increased motivation you experience when you achieve a specific goal are more than just intellectual satisfaction. This is a physical reaction in the form of chemicals flooding into the appropriate receptors on your brain.

This is a completely healthy experience and one you can actively pursue. Armed with this knowledge you now have complete power to replace your need for a caffeine fix with the desire for regular doses of endorphin.

There are multiple ways to integrate this tactic into your effort to quit caffeine. You could write down sub-goals related to your ultimate goal and check them off as you make progress.

For instance, break your journey into small portions. Instead of thinking “forever” start out by taking things one day at a time, and actively mark off each passing day with a big red pen.

Also acknowledge any specific steps you are taking to quit caffeine. Are you changing your routine, using herb supplements to replace the caffeine, or keeping a journal? Pat yourself on the back for every individual action you are taking. This active acknowledgment of progress will stimulate your body’s release of endorphin.

The ultimate of course is to combine physical activity with goal setting. Plan each exercise session and set specific objectives that require you to raise the bar from one session to the next.

Remember the point of these sessions is to increase your energy and take your mind off caffeine. You’re not setting out to become an expert in physical fitness so put absolutely no pressure on yourself to perform beyond what is fun and enjoyable.

The more you do, the less time you’ll have to obsess over your caffeine addiction. And the more productive activities you engage in, the greater your focus and enthusiasm for life will become.