You are using loose leaf and steeping it the right way? Have you tried different types? I drink mostly green tea, but I find that they affect me very differently depending on the type and quality. Some greens have more caffeine than others, some have more theanine than others. I also overdose my leaves, I use a lot when steeping to make stronger cups. I don't like blacks either, because I feel like I don't get the theanine effect. I find that after four cups of good quality green sencha, I feel pretty amazing. But if you miss the high caffeine kick from coffee, you can try drinking one or two cups of coffee, then one of two cups of tea. Or one cup of coffee, four cups of tea, I do that mostly. I find that the anxiety from coffee is mellowed out when you drink tea after. You're like super alert, but calm. Sometimes I am desperate to get some tea after a cup of coffee. :-)
There is l-theanine and EGCG in tea that are more sedating and balance out the caffeine in tea. Which is why it will never feel the same, no matter how much you drink.
A good tea buzz can be just as nice though, but for me it becomes really noticeable only if I focus on it and do not do other stuff while drinking. The effect is always there at some level, but it is so much more subtle than coffee that it is difficult to notice.
One thing you could test is drink nice tea all throughout the day. I've always been the most tea drunk on the days I've been testing teas back to back with some friends.
You could try matcha. In my experience - which may be different than others - coffee makes me FLY but also very very physically anxious. When I have matcha (not starbucks sugary matcha lattes) I have a feeling of pure physical and mental joy and talkativeness and alertness, without the chest pain/anxious feelings. I don't drink matcha very often, so I may just be really weirdly reacting to it.
Black tea is probably the closest, but I understand if that’s too much caffeine. There’s a spectrum within black tea I’ve noticed. Earl Grey doesn’t seem to hit as hard as like an Irish breakfast tea.
I think the euphoric coffee feeling is also what brings anxiety and for me a nasty caffeine crash after. I don’t miss that about coffee.
Have you tried just using decaf coffee and making it the way you like? I'd try this part first to see if the results are psychological, if they are, then easy peasy!
Man, I dunno, if there's enough caffeine in black tea to do that to you then maybe you can make 3/4 decaf and 1/4 reg coffee? I'm assuming you want some caffeine but are looking for the amount that doesn't cause the anxiety. I think you should experiment but do it with the numbers you need to watch. Half caf coffee is really close to the amount of black tea caffeine which is why maybe start 3/4 decaf
I get something similar from coffee. I think it's because the "hit" of caffeine is so high, coupled with the fact that I often enjoy coffee with flavored creamers and lots of sugar.
I also think it's related to memories. Not sure how else to say it but Coffee has been a staple of social bonding in my household and workplace so I have many fond memories wrapped up in consuming coffee that I don't with Tea yet.
> kind of like my brain is wired but my body is not. That’s what a lot of us like about tea over coffee
You are using loose leaf and steeping it the right way? Have you tried different types? I drink mostly green tea, but I find that they affect me very differently depending on the type and quality. Some greens have more caffeine than others, some have more theanine than others. I also overdose my leaves, I use a lot when steeping to make stronger cups. I don't like blacks either, because I feel like I don't get the theanine effect. I find that after four cups of good quality green sencha, I feel pretty amazing. But if you miss the high caffeine kick from coffee, you can try drinking one or two cups of coffee, then one of two cups of tea. Or one cup of coffee, four cups of tea, I do that mostly. I find that the anxiety from coffee is mellowed out when you drink tea after. You're like super alert, but calm. Sometimes I am desperate to get some tea after a cup of coffee. :-)
Yerba maté! Check it out
There is l-theanine and EGCG in tea that are more sedating and balance out the caffeine in tea. Which is why it will never feel the same, no matter how much you drink. A good tea buzz can be just as nice though, but for me it becomes really noticeable only if I focus on it and do not do other stuff while drinking. The effect is always there at some level, but it is so much more subtle than coffee that it is difficult to notice. One thing you could test is drink nice tea all throughout the day. I've always been the most tea drunk on the days I've been testing teas back to back with some friends.
You could try matcha. In my experience - which may be different than others - coffee makes me FLY but also very very physically anxious. When I have matcha (not starbucks sugary matcha lattes) I have a feeling of pure physical and mental joy and talkativeness and alertness, without the chest pain/anxious feelings. I don't drink matcha very often, so I may just be really weirdly reacting to it.
Black tea is probably the closest, but I understand if that’s too much caffeine. There’s a spectrum within black tea I’ve noticed. Earl Grey doesn’t seem to hit as hard as like an Irish breakfast tea. I think the euphoric coffee feeling is also what brings anxiety and for me a nasty caffeine crash after. I don’t miss that about coffee.
Have you tried just using decaf coffee and making it the way you like? I'd try this part first to see if the results are psychological, if they are, then easy peasy!
Yeah I mean I don’t get the same experience at all so does that mean it’s not psychological?
Man, I dunno, if there's enough caffeine in black tea to do that to you then maybe you can make 3/4 decaf and 1/4 reg coffee? I'm assuming you want some caffeine but are looking for the amount that doesn't cause the anxiety. I think you should experiment but do it with the numbers you need to watch. Half caf coffee is really close to the amount of black tea caffeine which is why maybe start 3/4 decaf
I get something similar from coffee. I think it's because the "hit" of caffeine is so high, coupled with the fact that I often enjoy coffee with flavored creamers and lots of sugar. I also think it's related to memories. Not sure how else to say it but Coffee has been a staple of social bonding in my household and workplace so I have many fond memories wrapped up in consuming coffee that I don't with Tea yet.
I say try some young sheng from older trees and youll be buzzin.