Maybe you “treat” yourself to a glass of wine at the end of the day, thinking it is part of your self-care routine. Or you escape to your bathtub for some bubbles in your glass after you put the kids to bed so you can relax and take the edge off. 

Unfortunately, the alcohol industry targets women, especially young mothers, as a lucrative market to increase sales. Images of beautiful people drinking beautiful bottles of every type of alcohol bombard us in all forms of media. We are led to believe alcohol is the ultimate way to relax. That it’s the “ahhhh” we all need at the end of our hectic day caring for our families. 

But hear me when I say alcohol is not self-care.

-alcohol increases your anxiety 

-alcohol increases inflammation 

-alcohol wrecks your sleep, making it harder to be patient with your family

-and the list goes on…

Have you been duped by “Mommy Juice” advertising? It’s not your fault! These marketers have taken cues straight out of the old tobacco industry playbooks. They know what works. 

But you know what else works? Real self-care.

For example:

Emotional Self-Care: 

-taking a break from social media

-saying “no” when it doesn’t fit the boundaries you have set for yourself

Physical Self-Care:

-dancing, walking, yoga

-scheduling and keeping overdue medical/dental appointments

Environmental Self-Care:

-decorating your space in a way that feels nourishing (like with fresh flowers)

-play relaxing music in your home

So the next time you are tempted to buy a bottle of wine on your way home as part of your self-care routine, buy yourself flowers instead.