I Have Anxiety, but I Refuse to Quit Coffee — Here's How I Make It Work

Anxious? Drink coffee? Same same.

"Maybe you should cut back on the coffee," is something I hear nearly every time I mention that I happen to have anxiety and love coffee. If you, like me, are wondering if you really have to ditch coffee because you have anxiety, hear me out: you don't have to quit it completely.

Sure, plenty of people feel better off of coffee and say that switching to matcha or nixing caffeine changed their lives. And I love that for you! But please stop telling me to quit coffee.

Coffee makes me happy. I know with 100 percent certainty that if you take my coffee away from me, I will be a less happy person and will miss a ritual that brings me joy every day (can't I just have my one thing?). How do I know this? Because I've tried to quit coffee several times in my life, and when I did, my life did not drastically change. My anxiety did not disappear. I was just tired, grumpy, and sad long after the caffeine withdrawals subsided.

So, what do experts have to say? "Caffeine overload mimics anxiety. If you're anxious, it will worsen your symptoms," said Nieca Goldberg, MD, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center.

If you, like me, are thinking: we need a second opinion on that. Don't worry, we got several.

Experts Featured in This Article

Nieca Goldberg, MD, is a cardiologist at NYU and the medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center For Women's Health.
Jodi Aman, DSW, is a psychotherapist.
Ana Pruteanu, MS, RD, is owner of Be Well Nutrition Counseling.
David A. Greuner, MD, FACS, FICS, isa vascular surgeon.

How does caffeine affect someone with anxiety or high stress levels?

Can you still have coffee?

Maybe. I've made it work for me, so there may be a way for you, too.

Personally, I've found that overdoing coffee (read: more than two cups), or caffeine in general, exacerbates my anxiety. And I've been through some more intense periods of anxiety in my life where I had to drop the caffeine wayyy down. (And I should note that one of the most helpful things I've ever done for my chronic anxiety is see a doctor and take anxiety medication.)

But when I'm feeling OK, I've found a few ways to keep my anxiety in check while also enjoying my coffee: to start, when I'm at home, I add half a serving of regular coffee and half decaf coffee to my Chemex. I also like to treat myself to Nespresso Vertuo Half-Caf pods every now and then. Cutting back to half-caf still gives me enough caffeine that I feel alert and focused, but not so much that I get anxious or stressed as easily.

Ana Pruteanu, MS, RD, owner of Be Well Nutrition Counseling, suggests switching to a smaller sized coffee mug, trying half-caf, or getting one of your espresso shots decaf if you are also experimenting with reducing coffee due to anxiety.

"When I get a latte with two shots of espresso, I ask for one of them to be decaf," she says. She also suggests avoiding coffee on an empty stomach if you have anxiety to help prevent shakiness and stomach upset. Ideally, try to wait until you've had breakfast (especially a protein-rich one, she adds).

Dr. Goldberg, for one, allows her patients a "moderate intake of caffeine, in any product."

So what does moderation mean? Coffee and espresso will put you in the 77 mg to 135 mg range, and tea will typically have between 15 mg and 70 mg. Cold brew can have nearly double the caffeine as other drinks, with a grande cold brew from Starbucks clocking in at around 205 mg of caffeine.

Some things that may curb the effects of caffeine include drinking water, as well as adding some stress-fighting supplements like L-Theanine to your routine. I've tried a mushroom coffee that has less caffeine than regular coffee, plus added L-Theanine, which works great for me. I find that the L-theanine helps curb the anxious edge that caffeine can sometimes give me. In the afternoon, when I'm craving a second cup, I opt for the mushroom coffee or a matcha over cold brew.

When is it time to say goodbye?

If you're dealing with severe, clinical anxiety, you may need to consider cutting the cord with coffee. If you've yet to be diagnosed, there are still ways to tell if your caffeine levels are too high for you. Dr. Goldberg suggests monitoring symptoms and being mindful of "rapid, skipped, or fluttering heartbeats, trembling and stomach upset, and sleep disruption."

You can also take notes and think of it like an A-B test. Reduce the amount of coffee, soda, or tea you're drinking, and observe if a smaller amount still triggers anxiety and/or heightens your sensitivity, says David A. Greuner, MD, FACS, FICS, a vascular surgeon. If the pros of having a mental stimulant aren't outweighing the cons, you could think about eliminating caffeine from your diet.

But don't think of this as a forever breakup, Aman says. "If you are trying to get your anxiety to go away, it helps to stay away from caffeine entirely. That doesn't mean forever, just until it's no longer a problem."

I do find that taking a short break from coffee on days where my anxiety is super intense is always helpful. But most days, I gauge how I feel and try to check in with my anxiety and stress levels throughout the day — if they are higher, I start with half-caf and skip more caffeine the rest of the day.

Thankfully, if you do decide to quit coffee (or take a break), there are energy-boosting alternatives to hold you over or become a substitute. Matcha, yerba mate, and green tea are all milder stimulants with lower caffeine — but hopefully enough of a jolt.

— Additional reporting by Dominique Michelle Astorino

Mercey Livingston is a writer and editor with eight-plus years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition for media outlets and brands including Well+Good, Shape, and Women's Health. She was the fitness editor at Peloton and held editorial roles at Equinox, Shape, and Well+Good. Mercey is a NASM-certified personal trainer and women's fitness specialist. She's also a certified holistic health coach through the Institute For Integrative Nutrition, with an additional certification in hormone health.

Dominique Michelle Astorino is a former PS contributor.