The Real Reason Drinking Coffee Can Make You Feel Trapped

Ah, coffee. It's arguably the most important drink of your morning, helping you to stay focused and productive throughout the day. It also has a lovely aroma and incredible taste that's extremely hard to pass up, especially if you're needing an extra jolt after sunrise. Java has also been shown to have certain health benefits like decreasing your risk of chronic health issues and improving your overall mood. While all of this sounds incredibly enticing, it's also possible to have too much of a good thing. 

When you start to exceed 400 milligrams of coffee a day — which is typically more than three cups — research shows that you will start to experience some negative side effects. Maybe you're thinking this will just cause you to have some trouble sleeping at night, but it can be much worse than that. The study found that overly caffeinated participants felt a sense of worthlessness, fits of panic, headaches, and even felt trapped or caught.

While a latte can help you feel awake, it can also cause a spike in your adrenaline. Experts say that while this burst of adrenaline will undoubtedly give you more energy, it also causes your heart rate and body temperature to increase, which can imitate symptoms of anxiety. So if your ticker is racing after having multiple shots of espresso or if you're feeling trapped, it might be time to consider cutting back on your caffeine intake. But don't worry, there's plenty of simple ways to do that.

The easiest solution is to cut back from four cups of coffee to just one or two. However, if you're looking to drastically change your routine, you can also start incorporating tea into your diet, which has half the caffeine. Lemon water is another great option because it doesn't have any calories and won't make you jittery, plus it has ample Vitamin C. Helping to lower feelings of stress and getting needed nutrients, sounds like a win-win to us.