A client's story
I had a client who felt unfulfilled with his career situation. In addition to that, they went through a challenging period in their personal life and faced a significant change with their partner. They also mentioned their challenge of not being able to stop snacking, even though they did not bring joy or satisfaction to them. When they created awareness around this habit, they started to explore unmet needs and neglected desires in their life. We shifted our focus to address those, and as they brought more joy, satisfaction and alignment into these areas. Eventually they decided to change jobs and look for a more inspiring work environment. With this shift, the urge for snacking invisibly ceased too.
My personal story
I stopped drinking coffee gradually over a year. The intention to stop drinking coffee came when I realized the physical and mental symptoms that came with it. I barely drank more than one cup a day and when drinking, I had a light roast, high-quality arabica. Yet, I noticed a constant state of excitement and alertness.
After reflecting from an Ayurvedic perspective, I realized that my dosha (mind-body constitution), Vata is strongly stimulated by caffeine. I was also going through an intense period in my life with a heightened level of stress, many impulses, and constant alertness that also heavily impacted and amplified these qualities. I needed a rebalance and I made the decision to let coffee go.
Coffee has been my hobby for a decade. Exploring and speciality coffees during travels were the #1 activities I enjoyed doing. I’m a trained barista and our home is well equipped with various tools to prepare and enjoy coffee. I’ve an attractive mug collection of coffee cups from my fav coffee shops around the world.
What was the process? 👣
I first reduced the number of cups, then I switched to low-caf. I gave myself permission to drink coffee only when I had time for it - no takeaway. Then I substituted coffee with a chai latte, black tea with milk (also decaf), and then with herbal teas.
I realized that it was the ceremony part that I needed. It was the warmth and sense of celebration that came with coffee for me. I renamed my virtual coffee chats. When I've met with friends, I looked for alternative places to gather. We go for a walk, juicery, or tea place. Changing the environment helps to transform this habit further.
Looking deeper allowed me to discover the needs behind that desire. If coffee was a symbol, a metaphor, or a representation of a certain pattern or relationship in my life, what would it be? This required deep awareness, observing what subtle shifts have happened parallel to my coffee experiment. This brought further insights to the surface.
Discovering deeper insights
👁️ Creating awareness around our eating and drinking habits belongs to what is called #mindfuleating. Looking deeply into our food (or coffee) both literally and metaphorically can bring insightful realizations and contribute to making life changes a reality.
Zsanett Czifrus is a Life, Business and Leadership Coach, Consultant and Facilitator for Entrepreneurs, Expats and Leaders. She works with individuals and organizations to empower and support ambitious growth, create structure in complexity, navigate personal and professional transitions, find peace of mind, and live a joyful life.