[EXP] What coffee does to me
Coffee is prime polymorphism example. Depending on the context it does different things. The different things are list worthy, therefore have been listed as under. This is a live list, maybe coffee does more things? Exploration continues.
- The classic: gives a boost of energy when running on steam.
- Also helps push along morning-wakiness when you really need to wake up at 6 am in the morning at freezing tempratures - the sun rise hike was worth it though, I think that was the first sunrise I have seen (as I recall) and it was one of the most beautiful things I have seen in life.
- When the tummy feels off and needs a cleansing, coffee is a good laxative
- Combined with its caloric density, along-with fruits, it is a good substitute for straight up fasting for weight loss and health benefits. If I am “off schedule”, say I am going on a trip, coffee also helps induce posterior motion.
- It is good to routinely fast, so the stomach knows what a privilege food is and not to expect it always, and be ready with backup plans. You think this is delusional anthropomorphism, but this has helped me. Previously I used to get headaches when I am hungry, thirsty or stressed, and my trigger levels were very low. Now I can go much longer without food before I get headaches - and it slowly ramps ups - and only when I truly need food. It is (rightfully!) afraid of how I might deal with it! Speaking of,
- Headaches. Damn is it good for headaches.
- Turns out coffee can dilate blood vessels. And when you have a headache a lot of times (for me at-least) it is because theres not enough blood pumping to the head. Stress headaches I think these are. You can feel your head throbbing. When you do, get some coffee. Hot coffee is better. It makes you feel good while also opening up blood flow in your head to ease the cloggage. Magical brew.
- Micro-dosing for sustained flow state
- Get a glass of coffee and sip it over a period of a few hours. When you are working. The coffee crash is real (more on that later) and this pushes it to later by maintaining a plateau for longer. Tiny nudges to keep them caffeine levels coursing through you for extended flow state. Very useful when you are deep in concentration land.
- Embrace the coffee crash for quick sleep
- This takes some timing and experiment, but if I have coffee a few hours before I go to bed, and I time it right, when the crash hits I am just in time to sleep. For me this is about 6 hours before bed.
- Note: this is not good restful sleep. Best used when you want to reset your sleep cycle. I have noticed more restless sleep when I still have caffeine in the system
- Milk is meh. Unless it is Bangalore Darshini coffee.
- Do you want coffee for its taste? Then you should try Darshini coffees with their chicory mix. That is heavenly. Otherwise, milk is just a distraction from getting the drug into your system. Black coffee (or coffee as is it sometimes called) and you drink it for being a socially acceptable delivery system of caffeine which also happens to have some soothing effects when hot, is the way.
- *Beware of withdrawals*
- As with anything else, do not go overboard. Understand that this is a stimulant, and not food. Treat it with the respect of medicine. You will get addicted to it and it is the boring kind - tolerance. Bleh. Coming back from the deep end means a few days of horrible headaches.
- Keep your eyes on your intake, and pace it out the days if you need to. Remember, drug, not food. You don’t have to drink it every day. And it is easier to wean away than quit cold-turkey as always.
- Swag. Cool. Something to do with hands.
- While talking, in a conference room, while teaching, while working. Coffee is the new cigarette (huh, what is it about addiction and coolness…..). You are confident and people look at you in awe.
- This also requires a level of personal delusion to work, so YMMV.