When I originally thought about writing this post, it was geared towards moms who, after a long day with work and their kids, often relax with a hefty glass of wine.
After I had Amalia, I got into the habit of having a glass of wine every single night, not something that I ever used to do. Those early days were so long and exhausting, that it felt like the only thing keeping me sane.
When the clock turned to 5pm, I’d get so excited for my daily treat. Who was I??? This wasn’t me.
I remember before I had kids, watching my friends post Snapchats and stories about their nightly Sauv Blancs, cheersing to the camera with bleery eyes. I laughed along with them but didn’t really get it until I was in it.
After reading this article, it made me look twice at this new habit and actually sparked my healthy holiday plan. I’m only drinking twice a week now (and usually no more than one glass of wine at a time) so I save it for events and parties instead of sitting at home on a weeknight.
There are many nights after a day of being busy with work intermingled with a fussy baby, where all I want to do is plop down on the couch and enjoy a nice glass of Pinot Noir. But I’ve found that when I replace that with one of the tricks below, I feel much better the next morning. Even one glass of wine makes my head a little foggy the next day. Man, I’m old!
When I talked about this on Instagram Stories the other day, a lot of you who aren’t moms said you would appreciate a post like this too, so the tips below are really geared towards everyone, not just my mamas out there.
None of these tips are incredibly groundbreaking or anything, they were just things that I didn’t always think to do in that golden period between when the baby goes down and Anel comes home from work..
6 Ways to Wind Down… Without Wine
Meditation- The thought of meditation used to make me cringe, so if you’re one of those people I promise, I have the solution for you. The app Headspace has turned things around for me. It’s super approachable and easy. All you have to do is turn it on, listen to the Andy’s voice (a former Tibetan Buddhist monk), and commit 10 minutes (or 3 if you don’t have 10) of your day to a clear mind. It’s kind of annoying and frustrating at first but as I’ve been doing it more, I’ve found that it makes me calmer throughout the day.
Take a Shower or Bath- A hot luxurious bubble bath is one of my favorite things in the world. I fill it with epsom salts, lavender oil, and bubbles, put on a face mask, and just sink into the comfort of it. If you live somewhere like California where baths are a no-no due to droughts, a hot shower isn’t half bad either. You can still do a face and/or hair mask, and sometimes I even do a few stretches while I’m waiting for them to dry. The bath/shower often resets me and I feel ready to take on the night (aka cooking dinner, laundry, and cleaning up our day’s mess) without feeling stressed.
Cuddle a Pet- Obviously if you don’t have a pet, this doesn’t apply to you so skip to the next tip. But for those of you who have a cat or dog (or ferret, perhaps?), get on the floor or wherever they sit and have a good long cuddle. No phones, no agenda, just pure love. They will appreciate the extra attention, and the healing power of a pet can be be vastly underestimated. Boots knows when I’m having an off day, and gives me extra love back.
Workout- After a mentally taxing day of work and and an emotionally and physically taxing evening with Amalia, a work out is usually the last thing I want to do in the evenings which is why I try to schedule them for earlier in the day. But recently I’ve noticed that if I turn on my BBG app and bang out a leg day, I feel so much better. Endorphins make you feel even better than wine, I promise!
Watch Dumb TV- Hear me out on this one… Maybe those Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are absolutely insane but watching them helps me turn off my spinning brain for an hour, and also makes me laugh. It might not be culturally stimulating but, watching bad TV is weirdly therapeutic for me. I hope I’m not the only one!
A Cup of Tea- The act of drinking something or “treating yourself” can sometimes curb what you’re actually craving. Sometimes I’ll sit with a hot cup of chamomille tea and listen to music while just perusing Instagram or texting with a friend and it will do the trick! Yogi Tea makes a Stress Relief tea which contains Kava root. Whenever I drink it, I feel totally and utterly relaxed… and almost a little high, so I usually only drink a half cup at a time.
Have the Wine- In the end, sometimes you just need the glass of wine… And guess what? That’s ok too. Just try to avoid making it a daily habit if you can.
Photo by Lindsay Madden Photography.
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