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Many people drink caffeine because it makes them alert, improves their mood and helps them to focus.  Indeed,  many studies have found that caffeine actually does improve cognitive performance in the short-term.   But those people who use caffeine can also tell you about the caffeine crash, similar to the sugar crash. Your performance decreases.  And then what do you do?  Drink more caffeine.  Coming off caffeine actually reduces your performance below what it could have been without the caffeine high. The only way to get back your caffeine performance level is to drink more caffeine. So it makes sense that the way to stay on a even keel to is reduce your caffeine to a level that it does not make you crash, and reduce your performance and mood levels.

Adrenaline

Caffeine also triggers adrenaline , the “flight or fight ” response.  This makes you react faster rather than respond  in a thoughtful, conscious manner, reducing your self-control and  EQ.  Caffeine also triggers irritability and  anxiety, which also decreases your emotional intelligence.   It also raises your blood pressure.

Sleep

Caffeine has a long shelf life in your system.  It takes 24 hours to work leave your system.  Any caffeine you drink after noon will still be at 50% strength at bedtime.  Some people say that caffeine does not affect their ability to get to sleep. But it may affect the quality of your sleep, so you do not get the full benefit of the rest so crucial for health and well-being.

For those of us working on our soft skills, our EQ,  how we control ourselves and relate to others, reducing  caffeine intake it critical.