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‍March '26, Issue 1

‍Dear Visitor,

‍A few weeks ago, I gave up coffee. Not intentionally — it just happened again.

After returning from visiting friends in Shropshire, I didn’t feel like going out to buy my favourite organic brand. So I didn’t.

And after a few days, something interesting happened:

I started waking up naturally around 6 a.m. — before my alarm — and getting out of bed felt much easier. No more heavy, sluggish mornings.

For the first time in ages, I feel truly in tune with my body's natural energy, especially now that spring is approaching.

Which made me wonder: How tuned in are you to your real energy levels?

‍Coffee: Friend or Hidden Stressor?

When you drink coffee every day - even just one cup - something subtle happens: You lose touch with your actual energy.

Coffee doesn't create energy. It mobilises what's there - stimulating your nervous system, triggering cortisol and adrenaline, our stress hormones.

In the short term? This feels helpful. You feel alert. Focused. Ready.

But here's what's happening beneath the surface:

When you're grieving, your body is already flooding with cortisol and adrenaline in response to emotional stress.

Coffee adds fuel to a fire that's already burning. You're asking an overburdened system to produce even more stress hormones. To push harder. To override the signals asking for rest.

‍‍We've Forgotten How To Honour Coffee's Power

Historically, coffee was consumed with intention. With ritual.

In Turkey and the Middle East, it was mixed with ground cardamom - not for flavour, but to tone down its stimulating effect on the nervous system.

Coffee was respected and revered.

Today? We gulp it down mindlessly. At our desks. In our cars. Between tasks. Just to keep going.

And instead of cardamom, we sprinkle chocolate on top - adding even more caffeine to the mix.

We've stripped away the wisdom and kept only the stimulation.

‍The result?

We're wired and tired. We can't tell the difference anymore.

And in grief, when our bodies desperately need us to listen, coffee drowns out the signal.

Spring Is Arriving — So Why Are You Not Feeling Rested and Ready? 

With nature coming out of hibernation, our energy should be rising naturally with the season.

But what if it isn't? What if you're still:

• Struggling to get out of bed
• Needing a pick-me-up every afternoon
• Feeling tired no matter how much you rest

It might not be just grief. It could be:

• Your body telling you it needs rest (but coffee is drowning out the message)
• Nutrient depletion that coffee is making worse
• Your thyroid struggling (more on this in my next newsletter)

When coffee is constantly stimulating your system, it becomes harder to distinguish between true recovery and temporary activation.

‍The Hidden Cost of Coffee 

Grief is an additional stressor that compounds everything else you're dealing with — work pressure, family responsibilities, financial stress — grief stacks on top of all of it.

Adding caffeine into that mix can mean:

• Further stressing your adrenal glands
• Depleting vital nutrients your body desperately needs
• Pushing through when you should be resting
• Disrupting sleep quality
• Masking early warning signs of exhaustion and burnout
  

For some people, one high-quality cup is fine — it can help get a sluggish system moving.

But for others — especially those who are very anxious or completely overwhelmed — it can tip the balance the wrong way.

‍A Small Experiment

If you're curious, try this:

Skip coffee for 2–3 days, or reduce it by half for a week.

Then just observe:

• Do you feel calmer? Clearer? Less anxious?
• What changes in your sleep, your mood, your afternoon energy?

You might discover — as I did — that coffee is masking your true baseline energy. 

‍Take The Next Step

If you’d like a more structured way to check your energy levels, you can fill out my Health & Energy Questionnaire.

And if you want to explore what else — beyond caffeine — may be affecting your energy, you can book a complimentary 30-minute session with me.

Together, we can uncover what's behind your exhaustion and find practical ways to support your energy and resilience.

‍Now is the time that your energy levels should be naturally rising.

If you’re still deeply exhausted despite the seasonal shift, your body may be asking for attention — not stimulation. 

Instead of overriding the signal, try listening. Don’t drown out the message with caffeine — which includes black tea, not just coffee.

True change can only happen with awareness.

Much love,

Sabine

P.S. Next time, I’ll share why persistent fatigue can actually be a thyroid issue — and a simple at-home check you can do. Stay tuned.

‍Sabine Horner
77 Millfield Lane
York YO10 3AW
United Kingdom

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