Ask HN: What do you use for focus without coffee jitters?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45693985

by jaemo • 9 months ago

14 23 9 months ago

news.ycombinator.com

I've been struggling with coffee-induced anxiety and afternoon crashes. Tried matcha (too much prep) and mushroom coffee (digestive issues). Recently discovered puer tea has a better L-theanine:caffeine ratio for calm focus.

I'm exploring whether there's demand for a convenient puer concentrate and put together a quick survey (2-3 min): https://aicofounder.com/research/ElEORiN

Curious what's working for the HN crowd—especially folks doing deep work who've moved away from traditional coffee?

eXpl0it3r2• 9 months ago

Is the problem coffee or caffeine?

I'm not the best at this either, but enough sleep really does wonders to focus.

What also helps me with focus is the pomodoro technique in some form, basically setting myself a timer, within which I want to fully focus, no distractions, followed by a short break.

jaemo• 9 months ago

Fair point—sleep and time-blocking are probably the highest-leverage interventions. I've been using pomodoro on and off but find I still need something to get into the focused state, especially on days when sleep wasn't great.

The caffeine question is interesting. For me it's less about needing stimulation and more about managing the side effects of what I'm already using (coffee). If I could get the alertness without the jitters/anxiety, that'd be the win. But you're right that fixing the root cause (sleep, focus discipline) is probably more sustainable long-term.

Curious—do you avoid caffeine entirely, or just use it strategically?

Webstir• 9 months ago

Weed. It's natures perfect combination.

eXpl0it3r2• 9 months ago

I don't like the taste of coffee, but consume probably an unhealthy amount of caffeine through other means.

My question was mostly if the coffee itself is the cause of the side effects, you could still consider other ways to consume caffeine, assuming it's the caffeine that provides the alertness to being with.

billy99k2• 9 months ago

After being addicted to Caffeine for a decade, I quit it completely. I've been mostly caffeine free for a year. My issue is that I would get anxiety.

I actually wish I would have discovered my intolerance earlier in life, because I used to drink 2-litres of Mt. Dew / day in high school and always had issues with anxiety.

I have found that sleep+water+exercise is all I need to stay focused.

uncircle• 9 months ago

Please, how long does the lack of motivation and anhedonia last? I have been trying to quit during a particularly stressful time in my life, works great for anxiety, but after 5 days I couldn’t spare to stare at the wall any longer instead of being a productive member of society.

This week I am drinking only one cup of tea in the morning and I’m still not very productive, but I would like to quit caffeine for good.

(FWIW I used to only drink a double espresso in the morning and no more, but I am a very sensitive, and anxious, person)

billy99k2• 9 months ago

It took me about two weeks for it to completely get out of my system. I quit cold turkey, and I had body pains and trouble focusing for the first week.

You want to just drink it again, but if you push through, it starts getting better, until you don't feel the need to drink it again.

apothegm• 9 months ago

Try consuming less caffeine, regardless of source. The jitters are from too much. So are the crashes. And you’ve probably built up a tolerance to the focus-inducing effects.

You may have a tough time the first week or two after weaning down, but you’ll feel much better afterward. Probably get better quality sleep too, and be naturally more focused when awake.

BitsAndObjects• 9 months ago

Water.

Not being flippant.

ksymph• 9 months ago

I get really terrible jitters and anxiety from coffee, and to a lesser extent tea; yerba mate on the other hand gives me the focus other people describe as getting from coffee. It's in the holly family, and has a pretty different chemical profile.

There's a traditional preparation that involves a special type of mug and filtered straw, but steeping the yerba like tea works fine too. Playadito is a good brand. Anecdotally I find there's a lot of variation between brands in terms of effect/concentration so it's worth trying a few.

ferguess_k• 9 months ago

I wish there were a magic pill that gives me a block of 3 hours of focus every day.

Hint: this pill is "money".

pajamasam• 9 months ago

Microdosed Aderall

markus_zhang• 9 months ago

Too much side effects AFAIK.

t0md4n• 9 months ago

400mg L-theanine with my coffee/caffeine throughout the day. However, I am trying to cut back to 50mg caffeine 100mg L-theanine.

ryanmerket• 9 months ago

Lions man + cordyceps combo

mkbkn• 9 months ago

Try consuming digital content less, especially videos or audios (non-music).

Reset your brain through digital detox, going for long walks without phone, etc. Brain has to wired again for focus. It will take time.

If you want to read something, print it and then read.

What ultimately shoot up my productivity was to read chapter 1 of the book - The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes.

gethly• 9 months ago

Exercise

fogzen• 9 months ago

Focus on your breathing.

You also need an environment conducive to focus. Be sure you’re well rested, have some fresh air, and play some calming music. Taking drugs like stimulants (coffee, tea, etc.) will interfere with this. If you want to sip on something use non-caffeinated teas. I like “yoga” blends, which are the same spices used in chai but without black tea.

mikert89• 9 months ago

healthy Keto diet is far more effective than anything else, also short bursts of intense cardio throughout the day

wannabebarista• 9 months ago

Are you also eating breakfast and lunch? Lots of my colleagues that have struggled with jitters and such also practice fasting.

SeanAnderson• 9 months ago

When I consume caffeine, I take it as a pill consisting of 50mg of caffeine with 100mg of l-theanine. I experience no jitters, anxiety, or crashes at these levels. I used to get jitters and crashes when I was taking substantially higher amounts of caffeine.

csomar• 9 months ago

Caffeine doesn't have any effect on me. I do feel down/lazy if I don't consume a couple shots on the morning and I drink coffee right before sleeping. These substances affect people differently.

Curious what's working for the HN crowd—especially folks doing deep work who've moved away from traditional coffee?

Nicotine. But there aren't many long-term safe ways to inject it into your system efficiently. So make up your mind about that.

artur_makly• 9 months ago

MATE 100% Clean buzZ with antioxidants Add pure organic mascabo sugar to cut the bitter taste.

I prefer the Barbacau roasted type that has deep smoky notes.

It will change your life. Also the whole prep ceremony is sublime.

Enjoy.

Ask HN: What do you use for focus without coffee jitters?

Related Stories