From Wine to Wellness: Why I Ditched Wine for a Better Way to Relax
As a full-time working mother of two small children, it has always been a point of pride for me to find natural and effective ways to deal with the daily stresses associated with everyday living. Work deadlines, school drop-offs, playdates, meal planning—what have you—all come along with the territory of motherhood and selfcare is important.
There wasn’t anything like a moment one could sit down and relax. The stress of being a mom, combined with the pressures of a highly demanding career, becomes sometimes overwhelming to the mental and emotional state. Meanwhile, I made sure to lean toward natural remedies to ensure I stay balanced for my kids and myself.
Over time, I have tried to find different ways by which I could relax after an exhausting day. For many—mothers in similar situations, for example—that “me time” in the evening is sacrosanct: finally, the kids are in bed, the house is quiet, and there actually exists a moment to take a deep breath.
Thus, in seeking that moment of quiet, there is one method which worked best for me: a glass or sometimes two of red wine.
The Wine Ritual
Wine in the evenings was, at first, a very humble luxury—a treat to which I looked forward after the hustle and bustle of the day. It was in no way excessive; a glass of Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon while watching a program or doing catch-ups on email seemed harmless.
In fact, there are many studies which show that even moderate wine consumption has beneficial effects on health. One specifically from the Mayo Clinic, that says Wine is good for your heart. And, though I’d hate to admit it, wine helped for a while. It helped to unlace me, release and let off steam.
But soon enough, one glass would turn into two. Occasionally, if it had been a pretty long day at work or the kids were whining just too much, I found myself sometimes drinking an entire bottle over the span of days.
The next thing I knew, it was $20 to $30 for a new bottle every couple of days. Although I liked it while doing it, it soon started to be a habit that did not quite sit well with me.
And then I began to notice the subtler differences: not so easy to wake up in the morning; I had not been drinking hard, yet there was still some fogginess from the previous night.
Poorly and not quite hung over but decidedly not up to speed. Then I noticed that the nightly wine ritual was creeping into something that I found myself relying on more than I would like. Therefore, it became a crutch, rather than a treat. Something had to change.
The Decision to Give Up Nightly Wine
It wasn’t until one evening, when the kids had gone to bed and I sat down with my usual glass, that some reflection kicked in. I started to think: what exactly am I doing in front of my children? My whole life, I have been advocating natural products and healthy living.
Why do I increasingly use the ‘nightcap’ ritual? This is absolutely not serving my body well, let alone my mental clarity the day after. I realized that I didn’t want alcohol to be any kind of cornerstone in my unwinding routine anymore.
So, I decided to give it up. It was not easy at first. Old habits die hard. I missed that good unwind after a day of stress. But over and above everything, I missed a routine means of unwinding. Without wine, I needed to find some new method that could help me unwind and get ready for a good night’s sleep.
That’s when I started exploring other options, and eventually, I found something that truly changed my evening routine for the better: indica hemp gummies.
Indica Hemp Gummies are actually my go-to.
The most significant benefit I’ve noticed since making the switch to indica hemp gummies is the quality of my sleep. While wine may have helped me feel drowsy, it often disrupted my sleep cycle. I’d wake up in the middle of the night feeling restless or dehydrated.
With the gummies, my sleep has become much more restorative. I feel so refreshed and full of vigor, for, as all parents understand well, if you have little children around who do not know what ‘sleeping in’ is, waking up is great.
These indica gummies are also much more consistent and predictable in their relaxation factor than it ever was with wine. It’s always that one too many with alcohol, then on to grogginess or worse, but with the gummies, I had the ability to take exactly how much I wanted, and every night hit that perfect amount of relaxation.
No Regrets, No Hangover
But perhaps the main change is the mental clarity. There is no longer this nagging feeling of guilt about relying on alcohol to unwind. Not drinking wine every night will clear my head and be better for my actual physical health, which in turn is much better for my emotional health, because I can manage the stresses of work and motherhood so much better with a clear head.
And most importantly, I am setting a better example for my kids by showing them that there are other ways to deal with stress.
I honestly can’t say enough good things about the indica hemp gummies. It’s perfect for relaxing after a long day without any of the negative side effects that come with consuming alcohol. No more foggy mornings, no more waste on expensive bottles of wine, and no more guilty feelings regarding my night routine.
Instead, it has shoved me in the direction of a natural, effective way to unwind that really leaves me refreshed and ready to take on another day.