Anxiety And Coffee Issues

“Please, Mark, don’t take away my coffee”, is something I hear from so many anxiety clients as we start their program to eliminate their anxiety issues.

Almost every day, I am asked if coffee is bad for anxiety.

The truth is, it’s not the same for everyone, as some people can enjoy coffee with anxiety issues while others may need to cut coffee out, in the short term or long term.

Let’s explore both sides of the anxiety and coffee issues debate.

Why Coffee Can Be Bad for Anxiety

1. Increases cortisol and adrenaline:
   Caffeine activates your body’s stress response, which raises stress hormones (like cortisol). For someone with anxiety, this can amplify racing thoughts, restlessness, or that “on edge” feeling.
   
   

2. Mimics anxiety symptoms:
   High caffeine intake can cause a faster heart rate, jitteriness, or even panic attack symptoms that feel identical to anxiety itself.
   
   

3. Interferes with sleep:
   Even one afternoon cup can disrupt deep sleep cycles, leading to fatigue and higher baseline anxiety the next day.
   
   

4. Withdrawal effects:
   Skipping your usual cup can cause irritability and headaches, creating a cycle that actually heightens anxiety over time.
   
   

5. Individual sensitivity:
   Some people metabolise caffeine slowly, so even small amounts can trigger anxious or restless feelings for hours.
   
   

Why Coffee Can Be Good for Anxiety (in moderation)

1. Boosts mood and focus:
   Caffeine increases dopamine and alertness, which can temporarily improve mood, motivation, and energy — helpful if anxiety is linked to low energy or mental fog.
   
   

2. Creates routine and comfort:
   For many, a morning coffee ritual brings calm and predictability, a grounding effect that can reduce stress when used mindfully.
   
   

3. Antioxidant benefits:
   Coffee is packed with antioxidants, which may protect the brain and reduce inflammation — both factors linked to better mental health.
   
   

4. Social connection:
   Coffee is often part of social rituals (coffee dates, coworker breaks), which can reduce loneliness and isolation, both major anxiety triggers.
   
   

5. Moderation matters:
   1 small to medium cup (≈80–100mg caffeine) may provide benefits without overstimulating the nervous system for most people.
   
   

Balanced takeaway

Coffee isn’t “good” or “bad” for anxiety. It depends on your sensitivity, stress levels, and dose.

How Do I Discover If My Anxiety Is Made Worse By Coffee?

There are 2 ways we can determine if coffee is making your anxiety issues worse.

Option 1.
Dr Joe Esposito gave me some great advice years ago on coffee.
“Simply remove coffee completely from your diet for 2 weeks and notice how differently you feel when you go back to coffee.”

This is great advice, although you do need to be aware that some people may find their anxiety symptoms become worse for a few days to a week as they detox, before their mood starts to improve.

By removing anything from our diet, we become aware of the changes, and we notice these most when we go back to it.

Option 2.
The Optimum Health Test is another way to determine if coffee is causing anxiety issues.

According to Dr. Michael Greger, roughly half of the population (about 50%) has a slow caffeine-metabolising gene variant (CYP1A2), meaning they process caffeine more slowly.

He explains that these slow metabolizers may experience stronger effects from caffeine, including higher risks of anxiety, insomnia, and even heart issues, while fast metabolizers can usually handle more coffee without problems.

In short:
50% of people are slow caffeine metabolizers → more likely to feel anxious or jittery after coffee.
50% are fast metabolizers → less likely to have those side effects.

The benefits of testing for coffee issues are that we can determine faster if coffee and/or caffeine are making your anxiety worse. The test also determines if you are intolerant to coffee and caffeine, along with many other foods and substances that may be contributing to anxiety disorders and mental health issues.

Is It Just Coffee, Or Is Caffeine Also A Problem?

Again, the Optimum Health Test helps us to evaluate if coffee and caffeine are causing problems with your anxiety.

Very often, those who struggle with coffee find a benefit in other teas that contain caffeine, such as green tea.


Why Is Green Tea Good For Anxiety?

1. It contains L-Theanine, a natural calming compound

• L-Theanine is an amino acid unique to green tea that promotes relaxation without drowsiness.
  
  

• It increases alpha brain waves, the same type of brain activity seen during meditation or flow states.
  
  

• Research shows it helps reduce physiological stress responses and improves focus under pressure.
  In short, it takes the edge off caffeine and keeps you alert but calm.
  
  

2. Balanced, gentle caffeine boost

• Green tea has less caffeine than coffee (about 25–40 mg vs. 80–100 mg per cup).
  
  

• This means you get smoother energy and fewer spikes in cortisol or adrenaline — the hormones that worsen anxiety.
  
  

• It’s ideal for people who get jittery from coffee but still want focus and mental clarity.
  
  

3. Supports stress hormone balance

• Some studies show green tea may help lower cortisol levels after stressful events.
  
  

• Its combination of L-theanine + mild caffeine enhances calm focus, improving resilience during high-stress workdays.
  
  

4. Rich in antioxidants

• Green tea contains (like EGCG), powerful antioxidants that help protect brain cells from oxidative stress, a factor linked to chronic anxiety and burnout.
  
  

5. Creates a mindful ritual

• Preparing and sipping green tea can become a calming daily ritual, a pause that grounds you and signals the brain to slow down.
  
  

• This “ritual effect” is particularly powerful for busy professionals who rarely take the time to reset.
  
  

Your Daily Ritual For Calm.

A great starting point when dealing with anxiety disorders of any kind is to create a daily routine, which can include a relaxing tea, meditation, anti-anxiety hypnosis, breathing exercises, and so much more.

The fastest way to eliminate anxiety issues is to create a short daily routine to rewire the brain from anxiety and stress to calm, confidence and success.

We have 2 resources to help you do this.

If you are ready to eliminate your anxiety and stress fast, to feel calm, confident and in control, it’s time to talk to one of our team members about working with us to resolve your anxiety and stress in 4 to 6 weeks.
You can learn more and book yourAnxiety Assessment Call here.

You can also access your Free Anxiety Relief Pack, which includes a powerful relaxation track, breathing exercises and an anxiety ebook to reduce your anxiety levels.
Access yourFree Anxiety Relief Pack here.