The dreaded coffee jitters. We all know that uneasy, heart-racy coffee anxiety when we’ve had one too many cups. This may lead some to claim coffee is just plain bad for you, but for most people that’s not true (I’ve written before on the health benefits of coffee).
The trouble probably isn’t that you’re drinking coffee–it may be how you’re drinking it that’s a problem! A few simple practices can actually help you prevent caffeine anxiety or jitters. And no, none of these tips require you to give up your morning cup of joe. 😉
How to Prevent Coffee Jitters and Anxiety
1. Not too much.
Just because your coffee cup holds 12 ounces doesn’t mean you need to drink that much coffee at once! Find your magic dosage with coffee: enough to perk you up, but not enough to induce the jitters. This may be as little as 1/4 cup of coffee for some people, while others may tolerate a full cup–or even two!
You can also try making weaker coffee, or try a 1/2 caffeine blend to lower the chances of inducing caffeine anxiety. The important thing is to listen to your body and find out what works for you.
2. Not too often.
If you drink a cup of coffee at 7:00 am, then another at 10:00 am, then another at 12:00 pm, then all of the sudden the coffee jitters set in! Caffeine tends to have a cumulative effect, so if the caffeine from your last cup is still in your system when you drink another cup, your body may not be able to handle it.
To prevent coffee anxiety, this may mean cutting back overall and skipping the 10am cup of joe. But if you like to drink coffee throughout the day, then try this next tip to lower the chance you’ll experience caffeine anxiety.
3. Drink coffee like an IV drip.
Sip your coffee a little at a time instead of gulping down big mugs all at once. You can prevent coffee jitters simply by spacing your dosage throughout the day. So instead of drinking one big cup at breakfast and another big cup in the afternoon, try cutting your regular amount in half and drink it twice as often.
I really like this tip, because I enjoy having a cup of coffee sitting around at all times – and if I gulp it down, I’ll want to refresh my cup right away! That’s the fast path to coffee anxiety for me. Slowing down and enjoying each sip really helps me drink less at one time.
When you don’t give your body too much caffeine all at once, it can help prevent an energy crash later on because it doesn’t send your stress hormones on a roller coaster ride.
4. Don’t skip the (real) add-ins.
There’s a reason coffee tastes amazing with cream and sugar! Use real cream (or at least whole milk, preferably raw and from pastured cows) in your coffee, and sweeten it to taste with real maple syrup, raw honey, or coconut sugar. I personally always add a couple scoops of my favorite collagen protein to my coffee as well.
The natural fats, proteins and sugars in these add-ins will actually help balance your blood sugar and energy levels while preventing coffee from raising your stress hormones too high. High cortisol and adrenaline are exactly the culprits behind your caffeine anxiety.
Of course, it goes without saying that fake creamers and artificial sweeteners are not healthy add-ins!
5. Drink with a meal.
Never drink coffee on an empty stomach, especially if you experience coffee anxiety a lot. Along with adding healthy ingredients to your coffee, drinking coffee with a full, balanced meal can really help prevent coffee jitters (this is even more important if you like drinking your coffee black).
Eat a meal that contains a balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates to fuel your body’s metabolic energy needs, rebuild lean tissue, and replace feel-good brain chemicals. Drinking coffee alongside a healthy meal like that will provide you with a steady stream of energy instead of setting you up for feeling wired-then-tired. Even eating a small snack like roasted almonds with a little salt can help reduce the chance you’ll feel caffeine anxiety with your coffee.
With a balanced approach and by listening to your body, you can enjoy your coffee without getting coffee anxiety. Just be sure that you’re drinking coffee as part of an overall healthy lifestyle, and not as a prop for negative habits (like to support poor sleep habits or an unhealthy diet).
RELATED: The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee
How do you drink your coffee? Do you have any tips for preventing the coffee jitters? Comment below!
More posts about anxiety and stress:
- How to Reduce Stress Hormones
- The Number One Ingredient to Avoid
- 16 Eye-Opening Famous Quotes About Stress
Cecilia says
Another thing: Espresso causes the least jitters, mesh filter, then paper filter the most. They also metabolize in the same order. Has to do with the oils and sediment (sort of like co-factors) that come through. Espresso also seems to go straight to the brain, coffee to the nerves. Some science here, some anecdotal. 🙂 I am a two-single-shots-with-real-cream-per-day espresso drinker and have tested this information thoroughly.
Denyse says
OK, so this is true! I have been telling my husband that I am fine when I drink an espresso drink with milk but I can’t drink regular coffee without getting jittery. He thinks I’m just crazy, now I know I’m not, Thanks.
Elizabeth Walling says
You guys are tempting me to get an espresso machine… like I need another kitchen gadget, lol. 😉
Dawnia says
Yes! It’s turned into a sort of hobby, I love my espresso machine!
Laura D says
Espresso beans have less caffeine then regular coffee, most people don’t realize this!
Deana says
What are the best kind to get? Just curious. Thanks!
Denise says
I splash some Almond Milk in mine and as long as I don’t drink too much in a short period, no jitters. ☺ ♥♥
Denise says
Oh, and I have been adding a half tablespoon of Coconut Oil in the first cup each morning as well. ♥♥
crystal says
i hear coconut oil is good to add in coffee or tea ive never tried it but, if i do how much would you reocmmend using?
Elizabeth Walling says
I add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to my coffee sometimes. If your coffee is warm, it melts right in with a little stirring.
Hannah says
It’s deeeee-licious in coffee! The flavors go really well together
Hannah says
I also put in about a tablespoon
Allison says
Gelatin in coffee is genius! I usually do coconut milk or grass-fed butter and coconut oil… this post made me REALLY happy because I love my coffee so much- I don’t get the jitters unless I’ve had WAY too much, but these are some really great tips for enjoying a healthy relationship with my cup of java 😉
Elizabeth Walling says
Coconut milk is awesome in coffee! I tend not to consume a lot of gelatin except when I add it to coffee. It’s my way of “sneaking” more gelatin into my own diet, lol.
Helene says
Great article!I loooove my coffee and have been resisting giving it up. I agree moderation is the key! I’ve also been making my own creamer with nut milks and coconut oil, absolutely decadent!! but I’ve recently taken it up a notch by adding a bit of salt, along with some reishi mushroom powder and ho shou wu (chinese medicine) they have a slightly bitter flavor so they mix in well with the coffee and now I actually get medicine from my coffee too! the best of both worlds 🙂
Elizabeth Walling says
Great add-ins! I like to make my coffee a sort of health drink, too.
Christianne says
I like to add a drop or two of cinnamon oil. Its supposed to help regular your blood sugar. I like the oil better than the powder.
Mali Korsten says
Great post! Black coffee on an empty stomach is the worst. Sweet and creamy coffee after a meal is awesome and jitter-free!
Juliette says
I have been mixing my coffee 1/2 caf and 1/2 decaf and noticed that I’m calmer and sleep much better at night. I add coconut milk, oil or half and half. I love my coffee in the am!
Robin says
What a great post with excellent ideas on how to enjoy your coffee. I am a bit sensitive to caffeine so I stick to an organic decaf, which is decaffeinated via the water process (I really like this one brand called Gorilla Decaf.) I mainly like the taste of coffee rather than the caffeine rush it provides. My favorite way to enjoy it is with raw cream, a bit of coconut sugar, and some stevia. Enjoying some now!
Amanda says
hi! I just found your site 🙂 I have a question on adding gelatin to coffee: does it make the texture weird/jello-ish? And do you use the plain gelatin powder? I’d like to start adding gelatin to my diet (for gut healing!) and not really sure where to start. Any tips would be appreciated – thank you!
Elizabeth Bushey says
I am also interested in adding gelatin to my diet and adding it to my coffee would be wonderful, but I don’t know anything about gelatin…..except making jello. More info on this topic would be great.
Elizabeth Walling says
That’s a great idea for a post! But for now I’ll sum it up quickly: Gelatin itself is made from animal collagen, which is why it naturally occurs in high amounts in real bone broth. It is also made into a powdered form as a protein supplement or to make certain recipes “gel” (aka Jello). You can get regular gelatin that must be mixed into hot liquids, and gels when it cools. Or you can get hydrolyzed collagen, which dissolves into hot or cold liquids, but doesn’t gel. Gelatin protein is naturally high in glycine and other anti-stress, anti-inflammatory amino acids.
susan allen says
I’m also new to this site. I like the idea of the gelatin, but am very wary of the possibility that it comes from non-grassfed, hormonally injected animals. I would think it would accumulate in the bones. Any comment or clarification would be appreciated. I would love to suggest this to a friend who has osteoarthritis in her knee.
Elizabeth Walling says
I believe Great Lakes gelatin is grass-fed.
Amber Cook says
Have you heard of bulletproof coffee? I’ve just been reading up on it lately and am interested in trying it out.
Elizabeth Walling says
I have heard of it, but I haven’t looked into it yet.
Health & Organic Wellbeing (H.O.W) says
Thank you for sharing!
Becky says
I find that instant organic coffee works a lot better for me than drip. All your suggestions work as well, and I like to have coffee before I eat, to balance out the blood sugar spike.
Elizabeth Walling says
Interesting! It’s funny how much a difference the littlest things make, isn’t it?
joe light says
the most important thing for me is to drink a full 8-12 oz water before having the coffee. also I use half decaf, half caff (organic) in an espresso machine with 1/3 steamed milk. i don’t eat with the coffee but i always eat about 1/2 hr later, at least toast or yogurt. sometimes in the afternoon i also have an iced decaf (coldbrew).
all this helps me a lot – no jitters any more, no heart pounding, and no heartburn. i love my coffee!!
Elizabeth Walling says
Great tip!
Tim says
You can always try rutacleanse! It detoxes the caffeine in 1-2 hours for me. Helps with sleep, calming, and de-stressing if I’ve had too much caffeine.
Carrie says
I’ve read that the French traditionally drink their coffee at the end of the meal. Another thing they do right when it comes to food!
Elizabeth Walling says
Yes, and I believe coffee was traditionally taken at the end of a meal, often with dessert, even in American culture. It’s so funny to me that we often regard these traditions as silly formalities, but maybe they served a purpose, after all.
Janet Fazio says
I agree on the drink with a meal concept. I still enjoy the flavors, and I think I eat less. Too much caffeine can make me ravenous.
H Trian K says
also Verve has no coffee jitter feeling…!