A coffee break swap: what to drink instead of afternoon coffee
Swap the afternoon coffee for a warm caffeine-free drink (rooibos, herbal tea) or a cold brew. Caffeine has a half-life of 3–7 hours, so late coffee is still partly in your body in the evening.
What you need
- Two or three drinks you can prepare at work
- A cup you like
- 10 minutes for a break
How to make it
- Pick 2–3 drinks with no or little caffeine: rooibos, herbal tea, cold brew green tea.
- Prepare ahead so you do not walk to the coffee machine.
- Take a short walk or chat with a colleague while you drink: a break, not just a drink.
- Use the last-cup tool to see when to stop caffeine.
How much caffeine
Rooibos and most herbal teas contain no caffeine; black tea has 14–48 mg, green 11–29 mg. With a half-life of 3–7 hours, caffeine drunk after lunch can remain into the evening.
Tips
- If the afternoon is hard, drop the last coffee first, not the first.
- Cold brew tea suits a workday: made the evening before.
FAQ
When should I stop caffeine in the day?
It depends on the person; caffeine stays for a half-life of 3–7 hours. The last-cup tool helps estimate.
What can replace afternoon coffee?
Rooibos latte, herbal tea or cold brew tea.
Also useful
Sources
- EUFIC: EFSA opinion on the safety of caffeine (2015)
- Mayo Clinic: Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more
- Wikipedia: Rooibos
Caffeine figures come from our database (checked 2026-10-24) and vary with the tea and brewing. General information, not medical advice. Amounts in recipes are only a starting point; adjust to taste.