I think we can all agree that alcohol consumption has increased for most of us since the pandemic hit in March. When the shut down first happened there were so many funny memes about there being no rules about drinking as if you were in the airport or Vegas. Well, we are going on 6 months of COVID living and things are stressful right now. It feels like we “deserve” a drink by 4pm. However, from a health standpoint daily alcohol intake can lead to negative side effects like poor sleep, inflammation, poor food choices, and so on.
The weekdays and weekends have blurred into one long week. I’ve talked to so many friends who are having a hard time cutting back on the weekday wine since being homebound more and are feeling the side effects. I continue to challenge myself and encourage my friends to try to stick to the weekends for indulging in libations. This helps break up the week and feel like there is a weekend to celebrate again, and it gives you something to look forward to.
If you feel like you’ve fallen into the routine of nightly wine and would like an alternative, here are some idea.
Have fun alternatives on hand. Many times in the evenings I just want something other than water to sip on. I’ve been drinking water all day and I want something a little more fun in my hand. Even a La Croix at this point won’t cut it and this is often when you might find yourself reaching for a wine glass to pour a little something something. This is when having a fun alternative on hand is clutch. I like to keep Kombucha, Olipop, Zevia in the fridge. Rockgrace is another great wine alternative I love! I will usually pour this into a wine glass to feel a bit more fun and fancy.
Experiment with mocktails. I always have plain sparkling water at home so I can easily make a mocktail. My go to recipe is plain sparkling water + lots of fresh lime + splash of pomegranate juice (another type of juice works like blueberry or cranberry). If you want to get more creative, here | here | here are other fun mocktail recipe ideas.
Make drinking a special occasion. I feel like since quarantine hit it’s like airport rules around here and drinking whenever goes. I’m not a dud, but I think the stay at home order has lasted a lot longer than we excepted. In March it was fun to break all the rules and start happy hour at noon on a Wednesday because what the heck else was there to do. 6 months later that mentality is catching up with many of us and it’s time to reel it back in. By not drinking during the week, wine becomes something special to look forward to on the weekends.
Get your friends on board. I’ve talked to so many of my girlfriends who are on the same page about drinking right now. Sometimes it’s hard to say no to your friends when you get together, but if you’re having a play date on a Tuesday maybe you make mocktails instead of opening a bottle of wine together. Support each other in making healthier decisions.
Plan a walk or park date during witching hour. For me, I feel like 2-5pm if the time of day that is most challenging to keep Quinn entertained and we are both tired. This is when you might want to reach for drink to take the edge off because of a whining or fussy kiddo, so plan to meet a friend and get out of the house if you can.
Cheers!
xx, A
