Assignments from all seven of my classes pile up quickly as each day goes by. Sometimes, swimming in an ocean brimming with newly assigned and incomplete homework can be overwhelming. However, the consumption of caffeine has served as my life jacket, it prevents me from drowning and lends me a helping hand in the sea of unfinished responsibilities and feelings of stress.

Ever since school started, tea and coffee were my loyal companions when working on assignments from both core classes and extracurriculars. My day would feel incomplete without consuming tea, coffee or even both. Similar to how eating rice is a staple to meals in my Asian household, drinking caffeine has become an integral part of my daily routine. 

With that, I noticed that I’m not alone; several Bonita Vista High students would come into class every morning with their caffeinated drinks. Some had their coffee in clear, plastic cups directly from the coffee shop, while others stored coffee in their personal coffee tumblers brought from their homes. 

Personally, drinking caffeinated beverages makes me feel as if I have more time—more time to stay awake and more time to do work. Caffeine gives me extra energy to keep my eyes open and makes me feel motivated to complete the tasks listed on my to-do list. In my head, the caffeine in tea and coffee grants me superpowers that enable me to be more productive.  

In short, I truly am grateful for caffeine. It’s safe to say that caffeine has climbed up to the list of things I can’t live without. 

My positive experiences of drinking tea and coffee were tainted when I started feeling unpleasant side effects. On Tuesday of last week, I drank a can of yerba mate tea during my sixth period. Afterward, during the evening, I decided to drink a glass bottle of cold brew coffee to keep me going because the caffeine from the tea drink seemed insufficient. The cold brew coffee was successful in keeping me energized for I was able to complete all of my assignments for the day. 

After finishing my homework, I went straight to bed feeling exhausted. The room was dark and silent. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of my heart racing. 

I could hear and feel my heart go “lub dub” or “dub lub” rapidly. My heart was pounding recklessly and it felt as if I could hear drum sounds coming from my chest. The overall experience made it seem like I was riding a rollercoaster with numerous ups and downs. 

For a solid 10 minutes, I laid on my bed feeling a little panicked. I then took deep breaths in hopes of calming myself down. Luckily, the mindful breathing helped me feel more relaxed and, finally, allowed me to sleep. The next morning, the fast beating of my heart subsided but was replaced by a painful headache during my first-period class. I gave myself a head massage to get instant relief from dizziness. In other words, I felt unbalanced. 

Although drinking caffeinated beverages has resulted in me earning a sense of accomplishment after completing my assignments on time, I was then confronted by feelings of anxiety. After reflecting on the unfavorable experience, I learned that drinking caffeinated drinks in moderation is the best option. 

Too much of anything is harmful. Ensuring moderation is important seeing that it prevents excessive consumption and harmful aftereffects. As Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Younger once said, “Everything that exceeds the bounds of moderation has an unstable foundation.” 

Moving forward, I will no longer consider caffeinated drinks as my lifesavers when swamped by a tsunami of homework. Instead, I will prioritize ensuring a stable and balanced self.