Coffee signals MORNING to me, it’s time to get going, put on your shoes, get out and meet with people and get the job done. I love the smell of coffee, love the taste (black if you please), love the way it warms my hands, and wakes me up. But over the past months I haven’t been putting on my shoes to get the job done, I have been pulling out my chair and staring at a screen. You may be experiencing the same thing right now. For me making a pot of coffee to start the day off right just seemed appropriate in these times. So day after day, week after week, month after month another pot of coffee. Well there are side effects to drinking so much coffee and lucky me, no one noticed or at least they didn’t say anything.
The jitters happened on occasion but not frequently so I continued this coffee drinking habit without realizing how much and how long and how often I was “enjoying” A cup. No for me it was a visual smack in the face, or should I say teeth, that caught my attention in the mirror. I started to take notice that when I smiled I saw a gray tinge to my teeth, UGH! First I thought I wasn’t seeing what I was seeing, you know, dim lighting, odd angle, shadow. But alas, upon closer inspection there it was “gray” teeth, can you see my head drop in disappointment. When what you do for a living is speaking in front of groups sporting gray teeth is not an asset. Time to brighten up my habits and my teeth.
Step 1: problem identified;
Step 2: denial accepted;
Step 3: solution seek.
If you guessed that I decided to give up coffee and treat the stain, you are correct. Now my mornings are pots of hot water with a lemon slice (I have my own small Myer lemon tree). I began my promise to myself to turn this around. Dr. Oz addressed a Tik Tok method of teeth whiting so I looked into the Tik Tok method of pouring a small amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide into a cap and using cotton swaps to wipe the peroxide over my teeth. After four days of this change I am seeing a bit brighter smile. Now I am not saying it is for everyone or that your dentist will approve but I’m giving it 7 days.
Will I go back to my every day coffee drinking ways? I don’t think so, I have found the habit seems to be the enjoyment of sipping something warm and the actual act of pouring myself a cup, lemon extraJ. Perhaps a cup or two of my favorite java from time to time, a girl has her vices.
What habit has changed for you as this work from home, quarantine, zoom meeting craze has taken over your life? For me it was coffee.
Photo by: Photo by Damir Spanic on Unsplash