I was flicking through the newspapers last Sunday when I came across an interview Adele gave about giving up coffee.
Aside from being a Spurs supporter, I don’t have much in common with the singer, but her words intrigued me.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: “I decided this week to stop drinking coffee and I’ve had a migraine all f****** week.
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“I had a splitting headache for two days because I cut it out. My head was pounding.
"It was like there was a drill inside my head. It was a lot.
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“It was harder than giving up cigarettes, harder than when you want to stop drinking.
“I’m disgusted by what these withdrawal symptoms are. I’m not giving in now.
"I did have about 25 decaf coffees yesterday trying to trick my brain into thinking I was drinking coffee.”
While reading the story, I was gulping what was my second black coffee of the day.
Could it really be as awful as Adele described? And could I do the same to see if I had the willpower?
For context, I am not embarrassed to call myself a coffee connoisseur.
My partner even bought me a stupidly expensive espresso machine and I religiously start my day with a strong black coffee. There is nothing quite like that perfect first sip to kickstart your morning.
It has been this way for at least a decade.
In fact, I genuinely can’t remember the last time I went a whole 24 hours without coffee.
Even my repetition of writing coffee over and over again is making me want to jump up and pop on the kettle.
Putting down the paper last week, my decision was made… I would give up my favourite drink for a week.
Rather than babble on too much, I will keep it short and sweet, it was one of the worst decisions I have ever made.
Abandoning my two coffees every morning and replacing it with peppermint tea left me utterly miserable.
I concede that having a three-month old baby who is experiencing a sleep regression wasn’t ideal timing, but I truly suffered during my coffee break.
I also took on the challenge properly – and refused to have any caffeine for the week.
But the reality was that I slept worse and started getting regular headaches, even after exercising, eating well and drinking plenty of water.
So, what were the benefits? There were none!
It felt like I was being tortured all week long.
Admittedly, Monday wasn’t too bad, and I went to bed that night feeling a little smug, thinking Adele really was exaggerating.
But by Tuesday my hands trembled and I desperately craved a steaming hot cup…
Looking back on my phone notes that day, I wrote: “Now 12.47pm. I feel utterly miserable. Headache. Fatigued. Ironically the Daily Star has a front page about how coffee has overtaken tea in Britain. Cruel reminder.”
For context, this was the front page.
The torment continued on Wednesday.
Flicking through TikTok that evening to try and keep me awake, an Irish presenter popped up on the screen.
Addressing the camera, Eric Roberts said: “I stopped drinking coffee around a month ago and I want to share some of the changes I have observed in myself in that time.
“Overall I am just less happy.”
Nodding in agreement, I looked at the comments.
One reply read: “Literally quit for a year and realised exactly this, no joke. Felt worse, didn’t sleep any better, absolute waste of a year.”
A second said: “I would rather stop drinking alcohol than coffee.”
Fed up, I decided to go to the pub hoping a pint would cheer me up.
But by Thursday I really had enough.
Heading into work, I walked past a van with the name “Life Changing Coffee”.
It was not the reminder I needed as I trudged into the office without a spring in my step or my usual takeout cup in hand.
Full disclosure, it is now Friday morning and I am writing this while drinking coffee.
I wanted to last the week but the headaches and feelings of misery are not worth it.
If there is one thing I've learned from this forgettable process, it is that life is too short not to enjoy the simple things.
Coffee – while I have no medical research to back this up – is doing me no harm and two cups a day (sometimes three) is completely fine.
So, if you are thinking of copying Adele to see if a life without coffee is worth it, my advice is don’t.
Be happy, and enjoy the little things that make our days that little more pleasant.
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