Microdosing and coffee

It all started one Monday morning—a day I remember vividly. I had a deadline looming, a creative block that felt like a brick wall, and a half-empty mug of coffee staring back at me. My usual caffeine fix wasn’t cutting it. I needed something else to help me break through. That’s when I remembered a podcast I had listened to recently where people were talking about microdosing psychedelics to boost creativity and focus. It piqued my interest, but I had never thought to actually try it—until now.

With a mix of curiosity and desperation, I decided to try combining my usual morning coffee with a tiny, carefully measured dose of psilocybin. What happened next? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t your average Monday.

When I first took that microdose—just a tenth of a recreational dose—it felt almost like nothing was happening at first. There were no overwhelming visuals or altered states of consciousness like you’d expect with a full dose of psychedelics. Instead, it was subtle. Paired with the warm familiarity of my morning coffee, I felt a gentle wave of focus and clarity wash over me.

It wasn’t just the caffeine-fueled buzz I was used to either. My thoughts seemed sharper, more organized, like someone had cleaned up the clutter in my brain. I found myself tackling tasks that had been sitting on my to-do list for days, and my creativity? It was like the floodgates opened. Ideas for my project came faster and easier than they had in weeks.

Reflection: Have you ever had a day when your usual productivity tricks stopped working? How did you try to push through?

Now, I’m no neuroscientist, but here’s the basic idea: caffeine, the stimulant in coffee, boosts alertness by blocking adenosine (the chemical that makes you feel tired). Microdosing, on the other hand, is thought to slightly alter brain connectivity, making you more creative, focused, and emotionally attuned.

So what happens when you combine the two? In my experience, it was like the coffee supercharged the microdose. The boost in alertness from caffeine combined with the heightened mental clarity from microdosing felt like a winning combination—at least most of the time.

But the effects aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. I quickly learned that overdoing either one of them could backfire. Too much coffee, and I’d feel jittery. Too high a microdose, and I’d feel more scattered than focused. It was a delicate balance that took time to figure out.

Try it yourself: Next time you have your morning coffee, notice how it affects your mental state. Do you feel a surge of energy? Does it help you focus, or does it make you feel restless?

I didn’t get it right on the first try—or the second. But through experimentation, I found a rhythm. For me, the best days were the ones where I kept the coffee intake to a moderate level and took a very small microdose—around 0.1 grams of psilocybin. Any more than that, and I found myself spiraling into overthinking or even mild anxiety.

On the good days, though? The combination was a productivity hack like no other. I’d write with a flow I hadn’t experienced in years. Tasks that normally felt tedious became engaging. And even after a few hours of work, I still felt fresh and mentally clear.

One day, I remember sitting down with a daunting creative project. Normally, I’d struggle to find the right words, but that day, they poured out effortlessly. I got into such a deep state of flow that when I finally looked up, I realized three hours had passed without me even noticing.

Your turn: What’s your current go-to productivity hack? Coffee, tea, a specific routine? How well does it work for you? Reflect on this the next time you’re trying to power through a challenging day.

Not every experiment went perfectly, though. There were days when I pushed it too far—doubling down on coffee when I didn’t need to, or microdosing on days where my anxiety was already high. On those days, the combination made me feel overstimulated and scattered. The jittery feeling you get from too much coffee? Imagine that, but with your thoughts racing at 100 miles per hour.

But those days taught me something important: this combination isn’t a magic bullet. It’s a tool that can work wonders, but only if you use it with intention. For me, that meant paying close attention to my mental state before deciding whether to microdose. If I was feeling particularly anxious or stressed, I’d skip it. And I kept my coffee intake in check too—no more than one or two cups.

Question: Have you ever experienced the downside of too much caffeine or overstimulation? How do you manage it when it happens?

After a few months of experimenting, here’s what I learned: Microdosing and coffee can be a powerful combination, but it’s all about balance. For me, a small microdose combined with one cup of coffee in the morning works best. Any more, and the effects start to counteract each other.

If you’re curious to try it for yourself, here are some tips:

• Start small: With both coffee and microdosing, less is often more. Don’t go overboard.
• Listen to your body: Pay attention to how you feel both physically and mentally. If you’re anxious, consider skipping the coffee or microdosing that day.
• Journal your experience: I found it helpful to keep a log of how I felt on the days I combined the two. This helped me track what worked and what didn’t.
• Challenge: If you’re already a coffee drinker, try this: for one week, journal how you feel after your morning cup. Are you more focused? More anxious? Notice how your mind and body respond to caffeine over time. And if you decide to experiment with microdosing (safely and legally, of course), track that too!

These days, I’m still experimenting. I’ve learned that this combination can be an incredible tool for focus and creativity, but it’s not something I rely on every day. Instead, I save it for those times when I need an extra boost—when I’m deep in a creative project or have a day filled with mentally demanding tasks.

As for what’s next, I’m curious to see how other routines and rituals can further enhance my productivity. Meditation? More physical activity? A break from caffeine altogether? Who knows? The journey continues.

So, what about you? Are you ready to experiment with your own productivity tools and rituals? Let me know in the comments—whether you’re a coffee lover, a microdosing enthusiast, or just someone trying to break through the everyday grind, I’d love to hear your story.