Coffee: Friend, Foe, or Frenemy - Part 2
We’ve all been there. You brew a fresh cup, take that first heavenly sip… and a few hours later, you’re either conquering your to-do list like a caffeinated superhero or curled up with a pounding heart wondering why you ever touched the stuff.
Coffee is as personal as fingerprints. Here’s what happens when you start looking closely at how it’s affecting you.
Meet Sarah: Coffee as a Productivity Boost
Sarah’s a graphic designer who swears by her morning pour-over. She says:
“I drink one cup, and my creativity just… wakes up. My ideas flow, my focus sharpens, and I feel genuinely happy.”
For Sarah, coffee seems to work with her biology. She metabolizes caffeine quickly (a genetic trait), so she gets the mental lift without the prolonged jitters.
Science backs this up: fast caffeine metabolizers often report better performance and fewer side effects, while slow metabolizers may feel wired or anxious for hours.
(Reference: Cornelis, M.C. et al., 2006. Coffee, CYP1A2 genotype, and risk of myocardial infarction. JAMA.)
Meet Daniel: Coffee and the Anxiety Spiral
Daniel’s an accountant who started drinking coffee to power through tax season.
“At first, it was amazing. Then I noticed I was overthinking everything, my heart raced, and I felt… kind of detached from reality. I didn’t connect it to coffee until I skipped a day and felt calmer.”
Coffee stimulates adrenaline — which, if you already have high stress or anxiety, can feel like pouring gasoline on a fire.
Daniel switched to matcha, which has less caffeine plus L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes calm focus. Within a week, his anxiety scores dropped noticeably.
Matcha green tea
ADHD and Coffee: A Double-Edged Sword
Some people with ADHD find coffee helps them focus by boosting dopamine. Others feel it worsens distractibility, especially when caffeine crashes hit.
Tip for ADHD brains:
Pair coffee with protein at breakfast to stabilize blood sugar (which supports steady attention).
Keep caffeine consistent instead of swinging between none and a lot.
Coffee Timing: The Circadian Connection
Your body has a cortisol peak in the morning (about 30–60 minutes after waking). If you drink coffee during that peak, you may get less benefit — and potentially stress your system more.
Best times for most people: Mid-to-late morning or early afternoon (before ~2 p.m.).
Coffee Self-Audit: How to Know if It’s Hurting You
Watch for:
Increased anxiety, irritability, or restlessness
Trouble sleeping (even if consumed in the morning)
Digestive issues or heartburn
Afternoon energy crashes
Feeling dependent on coffee to function
If 2+ of these apply, experiment with:
Cutting back gradually
Switching to half-caf or green tea
Taking “coffee vacations” for a week to reset tolerance
Feeling like this after coffee? It may be time to try something different.
Better Coffee Habits
Quality over quantity – Organic, freshly roasted beans stored away from light and air.
Mind the mold – Brands like Purity, Bulletproof, and Lifeboost test for mycotoxins.
Skip the sugar bombs – Syrup-laden lattes spike blood sugar, which can worsen fatigue later.
Hydrate first – Start your day with water before coffee to avoid dehydration headaches.
Pair with food – Especially if you get jittery on an empty stomach.
The Takeaway for Part 2
Coffee isn’t good or bad — it’s responsive. It interacts with your genes, your stress levels, your diet, and your daily habits.
For some, it’s a gentle productivity tool. For others, it’s a nervous system overload.
The key is paying attention to your own story — not just the science or the hype.