Recently, I read Michael Pollan‘s “This is Your Mind on Plants.” I thought it would be a hippie book about the benefits of forest bathing, but instead it was about humans and their propensity for ingesting mind-altering plants. Pollan’s delivery of the material had me instantly hooked, so I buckled down to listen about the history and uses of opioids, caffeine, and mescaline.

The chapter on caffeine was particularly illuminating, and Pollan’s description made it sound almost like a miracle drug for its ability to awaken and energize the people who consume it (either via coffee, tea, or some other mixture). Unfortunately, I’ve had a few very bad nights of sleep. When I learned that caffeine can take a surprisingly long time to leave your system, thus interfering with your sleep quality, I decided to cut it out of my life as an experiment.

Then three days later, I felt socially obligated to buy a green milk tea and drank the whole thing at 8 pm, which is why I shouldn’t be allowed to make choices. For now, I’m back on the no-caffeine horse, at least until another potentially uncomfortable situation arises in which I must drink caffeine to avoid conflict.

Anyway, make your own choices and be mindful of how much caffeine you ingest. Or don’t. It’s your body.