Signs you need to take a break from your favorite caffeinated beverage:
Dehydrated - A nasty side effect of caffeine is it saps our bodies of its most important resource, water.
Headache - It has been proven that soda causes headaches, especially caffeinated ones that are drank in excess. If you feel like you constantly have a headache, take some aspirin and lay off the energy drinks.
Lethargy - What? An energy drink make you tired? Your body builds up a tolerance to an energy shot's stimulating ingredients, just like it builds a tolerance for anything else. Too many energy drinks can actually have the opposite effect of what we want.
Anxiety - One effect of energy drinks is that they can give us a burst of "social" energy, allowing us to buddy up with people. Too much can cause one to think negatively, break away from social groups, trip bipolar symptoms, and cause mental break downs. Time for a break? Most definitely.
Constricted bowels - Nobody wants to talk about this, but too many energy drinks, especially the small energy shots can cause this. This is caused by too much B12, B6, and possibly other ingredients like guarana. If this is occuring it is a definite sign to take a break.
Energy Drink Does Nothing - See the same description as lethargy. We build up a tolerance, and then the energy shot will do nothing. But don't worry; take a break for at least 3 days, preferably a week or more and the buzz will feel better than ever.
It may be hard to take a break from our favorite energy gulp. I personally don't drink energy drinks, only energy shots, but even though they are small I still have to take a break. Here are things you can do to help with your break.
Transition into it - Taper off your drinks. Go from 5 drinks/day to 3 and then 1 over a course of a week.
Have a natural stimulant alternative - Once you have tapered off your energy supply, go with 1(emphasis on one) or less, coffee or tea. Do not drink regular soda, only coffee or tea. Coffee and tea provide natural caffeine which is safer for the body, and actually will provide a "different" buzz, that is often refreshing as some energy drinks provide a "dirty" buzz.
Take a break! - It may seem strange, not always trying to rush, rush, rush, but just relax, and try to look at things with a new perspective. Do you really need to be such a hurry all the time? Is the buzz really making you more productive?
Keep busy - Do things that will keep your mind off your favorite energy hit. Play some video games, draw, or write a book. Don't be idle, this will lead to boredom, and telling yourself that things are better while you are buzzed.
Try to take a break for a week or more. This cleansing is good for the body, and helps keep things in order like a regular heart beat, lower blood pressure, and gives your liver and kidneys a break. It also improves your metabolism.
Once you decide to get back on the energy drink, go slow and force yourself to not rely on it so much. You'll find your buzzes better, and overall your physical health will improve.
Other tips to improve your buzz and your health -
Have a caffeine "fast" once a week or biweekly - Choose one day a week or every two weeks that you will have no caffeine whatsoever. Where it is one day, you can do it without tapering off.
Switch your dirty buzz for a natural one once in a while - Like I said above one day only have coffee instead of the energy drink.
Here's to a good buzz and to good health!