Photo by Bonus Action
I am a terrible caffeine monster. I always have been, and that has led to some heinous habits as a gamer, artist, and reader. From Boo Koo energy drinks and too much coffee in high school while staying up late to build cosplays or grind through Kingdom Hearts II, to chugging Red Bull as an adult working through the most recent season of Diablo IV, my caffeine needs have stayed steady, reckless, and generally bad for my health. However, in the past year, I have been trying to find healthier options that give me a focused boost for gaming or creating without ruining my sleep, teeth, or general long-term health.
This journey began when I decided, like so many, to cut big, sugary, milkshake coffees from my life. Now, before we launch into this, I am not on a health kick. I haven’t started a Pilates class or taken up long-distance running. In fact, the choice wasn’t originally motivated by my health, but by my wallet. Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and all the little coffee shops in between had become so expensive that I was literally wrung dry. I could reasonably drop $10 on a coffee every single day.
So I quit drinking them about a year ago, and I didn’t realize how much sugar I was chugging until I stopped. Suddenly, I had more energy, I was less exhausted, and my stomach wasn’t constantly upset. Additionally, I wasn’t spending way too much money on milkshakes pretending to be coffee, which offered some room in my budget for some lovely new caffeine options that were much less aggressive than your standard energy drink, but didn’t hit you with the crash or the toothaches later down the line.
ADHD Gamer With a Red Bull Problem
I will be the first person to admit that I drink way too many energy drinks. As a thirty-three-year-old gamer with a young kiddo at home, most of my gaming happens at night, and to keep my eyes open through a raid, I crack a can of Red Bull and pray it keeps me upright until midnight.
I am also ADHD, and caffeine has been my focus aid of choice since I was thirteen. This means I am also drinking Red Bull when I need to get big work projects done.
This adds up to a lot of energy drinks over time. It also directly impacts the quality of my sleep, making it hard to stay rested and leading to more energy drinks needed. The cycle is vicious, and likely one many gamers know. Especially with so many influencer- or streamer-backed energy drink options on the market these days.
After quitting milkshake “coffee” and genuinely feeling so much better, I decided to take the same approach with energy drink reliance. To do this, I picked out a collection of slightly nicer teas, coffees, and herbal options that gave me a new ritual for work and gaming, while also providing a less intense way to stay focused.
Cold or Hot, Coffee At Home Is Wonderful For Cozy Gaming
The first thing I did was upgrade the way I make my coffee at home. Once I realized that sugar was half my issue and that I didn’t even actually like the coffee I was drinking, I set out to learn more about coffee and how to transform the process of making it at home into something better than a café.
The first thing I did was dive deep into artisan coffees. Between Many Worlds Tavern and Fresh Roasted Coffee, I learned that there is a big difference in coffee styles, origins, and roasts. I have learned that I am a big fan of light roast coffees with a mild or bold body and caramel, honey, or bright fruit tasting notes. I also learned that grinding your own whole bean coffee and using the correct amount of coffee in a standard, old-fashioned coffee maker is the best way to go. No K-Cups, no shortcuts, just a little grinder and some paper filters.
From Many Worlds Tavern, I am absolutely obsessed with the Lamp’s Light Roast. It is bright, smooth, and clean. It pairs perfectly with a dash of cinnamon and vanilla non-dairy creamer, and brews very nicely in a standard coffee pot. It is perfect for gaming, reading, or relaxing.
Meanwhile, the Peru blend from Fresh Roasted Coffee is hands-down my favorite option for reading, working, or heavy-duty lifting. It is a medium roast with a bold body that snaps. It is closely followed by the White Knight, another punchy option with a broad, complex body that is perfect for those who really like to taste the coffee they are drinking, but with all the caffeine of a light roast.
I have also been trying my hand at homemade cold brew, and Fresh Roasted has a special blend of coffee just for this purpose. The Frostbite Organic Cold Brew is a medium roast with a very light, delicate flavor. It is the perfect option for a cold brew, as it doesn’t become bitter and flavorless over the extraction timeframe. I love making this for hot days when I want to work outside.
Teatime To Drive Away Fatigue
In addition to my new coffee ritual, I’ve been looking for less aggressive ways to help me focus when I want to play a game or read a book in the evenings. I really want to do better with sleeping, but sometimes I still need that kick after my kid is in bed to stave off the desire to crash out on the sofa. To do this, I have swapped my unhealthy Red Bull habit for some new, exciting tea flavors.
I have always loved tea, but have dismissed making a cup due to the effort. I don’t really like bagged tea, and the effort of heating the water, prepping the loose leaf, and then waiting for it to brew feels like a lot some nights. Because of this, I have created a game where I pair a type of tea with the game or book I am going to play or read. If I am looking to read Heaven Official’s Blessing, I grab the bag of Astral Bloom from Many Worlds Tavern.
If I am looking to smash some nostalgia in Kingdom Hearts II, I reach for the Organic Juicy Peach Black Tea from Positively Tea Company for a delightful reminder of my childhood drinking iced tea with my best friend while we unlocked our favorite Keyblades.
I’ve also been trying some new options, like Yerba Mate, which is a much stronger green tea than I typically go for. I’ve always been a White Tea and Hojicha kind of kid, but that delicate combination isn’t always enough to keep me focused on a hefty gaming night. I need something that is going to help me romance an entire town in Moonlight Peaks.
This stuff has a kick, and you can turn it into a powerhouse caffeine option with some Cascara, a botanical from Positively Botanicals that can be added to your tea for an extra boost. Cascara is just the dried fruit part of the coffee cherry. It has a light, fruity taste that softens the Yerba Mate in the most delicate and pleasant way.
I have also tried out Guayusa recently, and while the flavor isn’t exactly right for me, it offered a nice, clear focus that was pleasantly free of a nasty caffeine crash.
A Better Way To Get Cozy
For so many years, I viewed the Starbucks drive-through as a ticket to cozy comfort. I’d get a venti white chocolate mocha, drive home, settle in, and play Pokémon or Stardew Valley until the sugar crash took me. I wish I had started thinking differently about this relationship much sooner, because I would have discovered that there are many other ways to make a little treat and be much kinder to myself in the process.
For the same price as one of the tooth-rotting sugar bombs I used to chug, I can get an entire bag of nice tea that has so much more flavor. I can spend just a little more for an entire bag of whole bean coffee and make a full pot to share with my family that tastes so much better than burnt espresso. I like the taste of coffee, and I am sad that it took me so long to realize that I had been missing out on such a lovely little ritual.
I am the same weight and general fitness level as when I stopped dumping money into milkshakes, but I am sleeping better, saving money, and treating my own mental health much more kindly with these changes. I also get to spend more time gaming and reading, because I don’t regularly give myself energy drink migraines or stomach distress. There are literally no downsides.
So if you are looking to try something new, treat yourself, and get a little caffeine boost, check out some of the options we’ve listed and let me know how they worked for you!
**Bonus Action was provided with samples of the White Knight and Frostbite coffees from Fresh Roasted Coffee and the Organic Juicy Peach Black Tea, Yerba Mate, Cascara, and Guayusa from Positively Tea Company and Botanicals for the purpose of this feature. All coffee and tea from Many Worlds Tavern were purchased by Laura Gray and were not provided by Many Worlds Tavern**
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