Can Caffeine Make Anxiety Worse?
Is Your Morning Coffee Quietly Fueling Your Anxiety?
Perhaps you take that first sip of coffee and feel a lovely, warm sensation spread through your body. Within minutes, however, you notice your heart begins to race, your chest feels tight, and your thoughts start speeding up.
Perhaps you have thought in the past, "Is this my anxiety showing up again, or did my morning coffee just make it worse?"
Many of my clients have asked me this exact question.
Caffeine is our most widely used stimulant, and when we live with anxiety, our morning coffee habit can sometimes feel like pouring petrol on a fire.
Here we will explore the connection between anxiety and caffeine, why some people are more sensitive, and how you can enjoy your favourite drinks without making your symptoms worse.
Click the button below to arrange a complimentary, no obligation consultation call.
We Will Cover Some of the Questions I Get Asked Most, Including:
- How caffeine affects your brain, body, and nervous system
- Can caffeine cause panic attacks?
- How long caffeine anxiety lasts, and what to do about it
- Why coffee makes some people anxious but tea doesn’t
- How caffeine affects sleep anxiety
- Best caffeine alternatives for anxiety
- Self-test: Is caffeine making your anxiety worse?
- Common myths about caffeine
How Caffeine Affects Your Brain and Body
Why is it a Problem to Drink Caffeine When You First Wake Up?
When we wake up, our adenosine levels are naturally low, and our cortisol levels are naturally high. Consuming caffeine immediately upon waking is unhelpful because there isn't much adenosine to block, and caffeine amplifies the already stimulating effects of cortisol, potentially leading to anxiety or jitters.
The NHS and Bupa agree, and both report that caffeine can:
- Increase heart rate and blood pressure
- Heighten alertness and focus
- Delay tiredness
- Cause jitteriness, restlessness, and insomnia
Click the button below to arrange a complimentary, no obligation consultation call.
How Does Caffeine Cause Anxiety?
Caffeine doesn’t directly “cause” anxiety, but it can trigger or intensify the symptoms by overstimulating the nervous system. Here’s how it works:
Caffeine Stimulates the Fight-or-Flight Response
- Caffeine blocks the calming brain chemical adenosine, which normally helps us wind down.
- At the same time, it boosts adrenaline, the hormone that primes us to fight or run.
- This combination makes the body feel alert, restless, and sometimes on edge.
Caffeine Mimics Anxiety Symptoms
-
A racing heart, sweaty palms, dizziness, or shortness of breath can all happen after caffeine.
-
These are the same physical sensations many of us associate with anxiety or panic, which can make the mind spiral further.
Caffeine Raises Cortisol (the stress hormone)
- Caffeine increases cortisol levels, which are already elevated in many people with anxiety.
- High cortisol over time keeps the body in a hypervigilant, anxious state, making it harder to relax.
Caffeine Impacts Brain Chemistry
-
Caffeine can reduce the calming effects of GABA, a neurotransmitter that soothes the nervous system.
-
With less GABA activity, anxious thoughts and feelings can feel amplified.
Exercise
You may find it helpful to track your caffeine intake for a week alongside your anxiety symptoms. Look for patterns in timing, quantity, and what you drink.
You can use the Anxious Thoughts Diary Workbook to help with this.
Click on the image below to download.
Can Caffeine Cause Panic Attacks?
Yes and no. Caffeine can cause people with panic disorder or a sensitive nervous system to scan their body when they become aware of the symptoms associated with a panic attack. It is this awareness of the feelings and sensations that can bring on a panic attack, more that the effercts of the caffeine itself.
Caffeine mimics many panic attack sensations, including:
- Racing heart
- Sweating
- Rapid breathing
- Feeling “out of control”
A Psycho-pharmacology study found that high caffeine doses could trigger panic attacks in people with panic disorder. Even moderate doses can increase nervousness in those prone to anxiety.
So if you are prone to panic, try to limit or avoid caffeine on highly stressful days, or before situations that already make you anxious.
If you find that you are feeling out of control after drinking caffeine, you can download the Circle of Control and Influence Workbook.
Click on the image below to download.
Click on the button below to email us your questions about anxiety and caffeine
How Long Does Caffeine Anxiety Last?
Caffeine peaks in the bloodstream within 30–60 minutes and has a half-life of around 5–6 hours. For some, symptoms such as jitteriness or racing thoughts can persist for up to 12 hours.
If you find yourself feeling jittery, try these tips to speed up recovery:
- Drink plenty of water to flush the caffeine out
- Eat a balanced meal to stabilise blood sugar
- Try gentle movement like walking in nature
- Use breathing techniques, like box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing, to calm your nervous system
Why Coffee Makes Some People Anxious But Tea Doesn’t
Some people notice they can handle tea but not coffee. This may be because:
- Tea usually contains less caffeine
- Tea has L-theanine, an amino acid that can have a calming effect
- Coffee is absorbed faster into the bloodstream, thus hitting harder
Try switching your morning coffee for green or white tea for a week and track the difference.
You can use the Anxious Thoughts Diary Workbook to help with this.
What is the Connection between Caffeine, Sleep, and Anxiety?
Poor sleep is a huge anxiety trigger, and unfortunately, caffeine can make it worse.
As mentioned previously, caffeine blocks adenosine, delaying sleepiness, and disrupts deep sleep stages even hours after consumption. The result? We wake less rested, our cortisol stays high, and our anxiety threshold drops.
My recommendation is to avoid caffeine after 2pm. If you’re highly sensitive and still find your anxiety levels are heightened, you may wish to consider making midday your limit.
Back at the height of my anxiety, I used to drink multiple cups of coffee every day, believing it helped me cope with the daily stresses of life, and it kept me alert and focused on my job. I was unaware that my excessive coffee consumption was also contributing to my struggling to fall asleep, my daily palpitations and anxiety.
I do still enjoy the occasional coffee, however, I rarely drink coffee before 11 am or after 2 pm now and drink water with a slice of lemon in it when I first wake up.
When you gradually replace coffee with herbal teas or water, you may notice :
- Heart palpitations reduce
- Feeling calmer in the afternoons
- Falling asleep faster and waking feeling more rested
A client was drinking strong coffee on an empty stomach within 20 minutes of waking. Soon after, he’d feel dizzy and his heart would pound. He would then scan his body for evidence that he was having an anxiety attack, and panic would set in.
We made three changes:
- Eating breakfast before coffee
- Limiting coffee to one mid-morning cup
- Drinking a glass of water with his coffee
Within two weeks, his morning panic episodes reduced by more than half, and have now gone completely.
Read our 5 Star Google Reviews Here
Click the button below to arrange a complimentary, no obligation consultation call.
Is Caffeine Making Your Anxiety Worse?
Tick any that apply:
- I feel restless or jittery soon after caffeine
- My heart races without an obvious reason
- I have trouble sleeping if I drink caffeine after midday
- I feel more irritable on high-caffeine days
- I’ve had panic-like symptoms after coffee or energy drinks
If you tick three or more, caffeine could be a significant anxiety trigger for you.
Best Caffeine Alternatives for Anxiety
- Peppermint tea is calming for digestion and naturally caffeine-free
- Chamomile tea contains apigenin, which can promote relaxation
- Rooibos tea is rich in antioxidants and naturally caffeine-free
- Turmeric latte is both anti-inflammatory and warming
- Mushroom blends are my favourites. Adaptogens like reishi and lion’s mane can help support a balanced nervous system
Myth About Caffeine
Myth: Espresso has more caffeine than filter coffee
Truth: Per serving, espresso often has less caffeine and large mugs of brewed coffee can have double
Myth: Decaf is caffeine-free
Truth: It still contains small amounts but usually not enough to cause anxiety for most
Myth: Tea is always safe for anxiety
Truth: Some teas, like strong black or matcha, can have caffeine levels similar to coffee
Read our 5 Star Google Reviews Here
Click the button below to arrange a complimentary, no obligation consultation call.
If You Need Further Support With Anxiety
If you need further support to calm your nervous system for good and overcome your anxiety and the accompanying symptoms, a trained Anxiety Specialist can prescribe a personalised plan to help you understand the underlying cause of your anxiety.
An Anxiety Therapist can help you develop healthy coping strategies tailored to your individual needs. Taking care of your mental wellbeing is an essential part of your overall well-being. Left unresolved, anxiety can spiral out of control and have a significant impact on relationships, work, school and family life.
So if you want to take back control and have a happier life where your fears no longer hold you back, book a free, no-obligation consultation call. Let’s talk about what’s going on for you and how we can create a plan that feels safe, supported, and effective.
Click the button below to arrange a complimentary, no obligation consultation call.
Additional Resources
Read What Causes Anxiety?
Read What Are The Different Types of Anxiety?
Watch How to Feel Less Anxious
Watch How To Reduce Anxiety Immediately
Download Circle of Control and Influence worksheet
Download Cognitive Distortions worksheet
FAQs on Anxiety and Caffeine
Does Caffeine Always Make Anxiety Worse?
Not always, but many people with anxiety find that reducing caffeine helps their symptoms.
Does Switching to Decaf Coffee Help With Anxiety?
Yes, for most people, as it contains only small amounts of caffeine.
Is Green Tea Better Than Coffee For Anxiety?
Often, yes. Green tea contains less caffeine and the calming amino acid L-theanine.
How Long Does Caffeine Anxiety Last?
For most, symptoms typically fade within hours, but sensitivity can prolong their duration.
Read our 5 Star Google Reviews Here