A morning ritual without coffee: starting the day with tea
Replace only the morning cup first: a cup of filter coffee has 80–107 mg, black tea 14–48 mg, green tea 11–29 mg, matcha 38–89 mg. The same cup, the same time and 10 minutes without a screen turn a routine into a ritual.
What you need
- The same cup every day
- A tea of your choice (black or matcha to start)
- 10 minutes at the start of the morning
How to make it
- Find out how much caffeine you get now: the caffeine calculator shows the daily total.
- Replace the first cup: it is usually the easiest, because it is where the habit is strongest.
- Drink at the same time from the same cup; add 10 minutes without your phone if you can.
- After a week replace the second cup. For a gradual plan use the planner tool.
How much caffeine
EFSA says up to 400 mg of caffeine a day and up to 200 mg at one time is safe for adults. 200 mg is about 6 cups of black tea at our typical value (31 mg). Caffeine has a half-life of 3–7 hours.
Tips
- In the first days you may get a headache or sleepiness: see the article on caffeine withdrawal.
- Do not aim for zero at once: a gradual reduction is easier.
FAQ
Where do I start swapping coffee for tea?
With one cup in the morning. When it becomes a habit, swap the next.
Which tea is closest to coffee?
By caffeine, matcha (38–89 mg) or yerba mate; the taste differs.
Also useful
Sources
- EUFIC: EFSA opinion on the safety of caffeine (2015)
- Mayo Clinic: Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more
- Medical News Today: matcha caffeine (19–44 mg/g, citing Kochman et al. 2020)
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.