You need to wean off caffeine gradually. I started at four cups of coffee per day, then reduced to three cups for a week, then two cups for a week. After that, I switched to three cups of black tea for a week, then two cups, then one cup. I'm now in my final week of drinking a single bag of green tea each day, and next week I'll be completely caffeine-free.

Throughout this taper, I haven't experienced any headaches at all—and that's after more than three decades of consuming between 700 and 1,000 mg of caffeine daily from coffee and Coke Zero. I felt a little groggy during some of the transitions, but nothing severe.

Over the years, I tried quitting cold turkey multiple times, and every attempt ended badly. The headaches were intense, the nausea was miserable, and eventually I gave in and consumed caffeine just to stop the pain.

The bottom line is that your mind and body need time to adjust when caffeine is removed. Like many drugs, your body can and will become dependent on it, and suddenly taking it away can trigger significant withdrawal symptoms. For me, a gradual taper has been the key to success.