Wine is not really self care

I've always enjoyed a glass of wine and in my 20s was usually the one convincing everyone to stay at the pub for 'one more round'. In my 30s I started having babies, and that certainly slowed down and largely halted my wine consumption - dealing with toddlers and crying babies required my 'A' game and a wine headache was to be avoided at all costs!

Then as the kids got older and more independent, wine crept back into my life. Before I realised I had a daily wine habit, and my consumption was also slowly increasing. Like many people, wine had become my nightly reward for getting through the day, of work, homework, after school activities, dinner and bedtime routine. Collapsing on the couch at 8.30pm to drink wine and binge watch the latest Netflix series was the time I looked forward to. Plus it helped me to relax.

But then I started learning more about 'wine o'clock'. I read a number of books recommended by Hello Sunday Morning (www.hellosundaymorning.org .. a service that aims to change our relationship with alcohol) such as High Sobriety by Jill Stark, Kick the Drink ... Easily! by Jason Vale and Mrs D is Going Without by Lotta Dann. I was completely mesmerised. What I learned is that rather than being 'mummy's little helper' wine and alcohol was actually making things worse. It made you tired, sluggish, give into food cravings and bad tempered. If you're anxious or depressed, it makes those symptoms worse as well. Inspired, I started a 100 day no alcohol challenge (which I completed and recently did another). 

What I've found is that not drinking or drinking less has made a big positive difference in my life. I have more energy, I exercise more, my skin improved and as time passed I actually didn't miss it that much. I've also lost a little bit of weight.

I've now replaced my wine o'clock habit with better self care habits like exercise, reading and a meditation app (there are lots out there, I use Calm which also has great sleepy time stories for kids, but have heard good reports about Buddhify and Headspace, there's even a prayer meditation app called Hallow. Note all these apps involve a fee however there are others that are free like ReachOut Breathe or Smiling Mind).

It's been a tough year but if you think you are drinking more than you should I can totally recommend trying a no alcohol challenge, even if it's just for a few weeks! 

For more information visit: www.hellosundaymorning.org 

Other reading recommendations include:
Quit Like a Woman, Holly Glenn Whitaker
Tired of Thinking About Drinking, Belle Robertson
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, Catherine Gray
Glorious Rock bottom, Bryony Gordon
The Sober Diaries, Claire Pooley