Why I Even Tried Mushroom Coffee
As someone who works in tech, design, and content all day, I used to rely heavily on energy drinks.
Not for the taste—just for the hit.
But at some point, I realized my routine was:
Wake up → caffeine → work → crash → caffeine → work → crash again.
It wasn’t sustainable.
So I did what most people do when they’re looking for a new habit: I went down a rabbit hole.
That's when I came across mushroom coffee.
At first, it sounded like another overhyped wellness trend.
But the more I read, the more I understood that it’s not really “coffee with mushrooms”—it’s functional mushrooms blended with coffee to smooth out the caffeine spike.
So I decided to test it.
What Is Mushroom Coffee, Really?
Short answer:
Coffee → same caffeine
Functional mushrooms → adaptogens that help your body handle stress
Common blends include:
- Lion’s Mane (focus & cognitive support)
- Chaga (immune support)
- Reishi (stress regulation)
Important:
You do not taste mushrooms.
No soup flavor. No forest floor. None of that.
My 30-Day Experiment
I replaced every energy drink with mushroom coffee. Here’s what actually happened.
1. My energy spikes disappeared
With energy drinks, I would rocket up and then crash hard.
Mushroom coffee felt… stable.
A slow rise, steady focus, and no 2 PM death zone.
2. My focus improved more than I expected
Lion’s Mane is supposed to help with cognitive clarity.
I don’t know if it was placebo, chemistry, or just consistency—but I genuinely felt:
- cleaner concentration
- less mental noise
- more “lock-in” time
Especially when designing.
3. I slept noticeably better
Not dramatically.
Just fewer nights lying awake.
This is likely because I stopped drinking caffeine late in the day, not because mushroom coffee is magic—but still, the improvement was real.
4. The biggest change: reduced anxiety
This was the surprise.
Energy drinks always gave me a background level of restlessness I didn’t realize until I stopped.
Mushroom coffee felt calmer.
For someone juggling clients, startups, content, and deadlines, that difference matters.
Who Is Mushroom Coffee Actually Good For?
If you’re in any of these categories, mushroom coffee might help:
- Designers
- Developers
- Founders
- Anyone in creative or analytical work
- People with caffeine sensitivity
- People who get anxious or jittery from normal coffee
If you rely on mental performance more than physical, this blend makes sense.
Who Probably Won’t Care About It
- Heavy caffeine drinkers who want a strong hit
- People who don’t want to experiment
- Those who expect overnight miracles
It’s not magic.
It’s just a smoother stimulant + adaptogens.
Is Mushroom Coffee Worth It? My Honest Take
For me, yes.
Not because it fixed my life.
But because it replaced something harmful with something neutral or slightly beneficial.
The biggest benefits were:
- steady energy
- better focus
- fewer crashes
- lower anxiety
I still drink regular coffee sometimes.
But energy drinks?
I haven’t touched them in months.
If You Want to Try It
Here’s what I recommend based on my experience:
Pick a blend with:
- Lion’s Mane
- Chaga
- Less than 70–80mg caffeine
Avoid blends with:
- added sweeteners
- synthetic ingredients
- unnecessary flavorings
Start slow:
Replace one energy drink or coffee with mushroom coffee → see how you feel → adjust.
Final Thoughts
Switching to mushroom coffee didn’t make me a superhero.
But it made my days smoother, calmer, and more productive.
And as someone who builds products, designs brands, and tries to think clearly every day—that’s worth a lot.