Self-Care
There is so much talk about self-care. I never thought of exercise as self-care. My idea of self-care was a glass or two of wine. I felt that 20 minutes of release that I got was worth it. At first, that rush was worth it. But little did I know that those drinks were causing so much chaos internally. I mean, red wine is good for us, right? (The answer is no, but that is for another blog post!)
I didn’t know that the human body has to eliminate alcohol immediately because ethanol is toxic. Seriously, our bodies are amazing! The liver goes into overtime, and the body slows digestion so that the liver can get the alcohol out of our body.
As your liver processes the alcohol, it produces toxic chemicals and releases them into the bloodstream. These toxins play havoc, causing bad sleep, mood swings, depression, anxiety, and short attention spans.
My glass of wine that was supposed to be good for me made me sick. The anxiety I was trying to relieve with the drink would temporarily relieve, but those same drinks were causing hangxiety the next day. When I learned all about what alcohol really does to my body, my eyes were opened. My glass of wine wasn’t self-care.
Real self-care will rejuvenate and improve your mind, body, and spirit. Exercise does this for me! I have exercised pretty consistently over the past 10 -12 years, but I did it as an end to a means. I exercised to sweat out the alcohol or extra calories. I now exercise because I want to live a long life and I want to be mobile. Exercise, meditation, prayer, a massage, going and getting your hair done or nails done. Having coffee with a friend is also self-care!
Check out my pictures! I was working out more in December 2019 than I am now. I’m eating pretty much the same as well. The one change I made was cutting out the alcohol. It’s my #1 life hack! I never intended to give up alcohol; my plan was moderation. However, I felt so good that I never went back.
Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? Are you interested in taking a break from alcohol? Dry January is coming, but you can start now. Click here book a free discovery call!
Join me for This Naked Mind’s Live Alcohol Experiment starting January 1st. I will be a mentor and I’m so looking forward to it! Click here to sign up!