Ep 124: Mommy Juice Culture with Christy Osborne

Jun 9

Does the alcohol industry prey on overstressed moms?

Karolina has an in-depth conversation with Christy Osborn, a fellow This Naked Mind Coach and business coaching client, to unpack mommy juice culture and the trend of pushing alcohol on moms under the guise of connecting, coping, and treating themselves. Alcohol-free since 2020, Christy’s drinking really picked up when she became a mom in 2010. She used it for solace and “me-time”, but of course, it didn't work. From the dangers of this message to ways of freeing yourself from this cultural trend, feel empowered in breaking the mold and choosing a better way.

History repeats until we change it.

Today’s topic is kind of a controversial one, and yet it’s a really important conversation. Christy brings so much heart, wisdom, and vulnerability to this discussion around “mommy juice” culture.

Christy has been alcohol-free since March of 2020, but before that, she had used alcohol for everything from numbing out to enjoyment to grieving. She experienced different seasons in her life when drinking became more prevalent until it finally came to a head.

The first stint of drinking came when she was studying abroad during her junior year of undergrad. Christy saw drinking as sophisticated and glamorous - she felt classy with a drink in hand and didn’t want to miss out on the experience. Then in law school, the stress of academia, assignments, and the Bar Exam led to drinking as a means of calming down and releasing the stress and tension from her studies.

After law school, Christy married, moved to London and gave birth to her first child in 2010. Drinking quickly became her go-to means of coping. With the birth of her second child two years later, Christy experienced postpartum depression and used alcohol to navigate this difficult season.

It was in 2018 when Christy’s mother passed away when her grief became muddled with anger. Christy was broken and disconnected from herself and from her children. The spiral continued until March of 2020, when she made the decision to ditch alcohol and step into a beautifully different way of living, alcohol-free.

Christy recalls, “I used to say that I wish I had stopped drinking sooner, but now I kind of see that I needed to go through all the things that I went through and learn all the things that I learned at specific times in order to get to that place where I was just ready to give it all up and be better.”

Alcohol is marketed as the perfect solution to so many problems, but what we really know is that it’s not at all the resource it’s claimed to be. The misrepresentation of alcohol is what leads to the continued use of drinking to navigate life.

So, why continue to let history repeat itself once again?

You have the power to break the cycle just like Christy did, and change your future. We don’t need alcohol to experience life - we need the ability to connect with ourselves and others.

The messages we send children

Becoming a new mom is overwhelming, filled with societal and cultural expectations and judgements, familial values, and personal doubts. Christy found herself desperate for connection with others that could relate to her and this crazy new experience she was navigating.

Sadly, it was going out with other moms to drink that provided her with that fleeting connection.

As a new mom, Christy was doubting her parenting abilities, worried if she was doing it wrong or if her child’s needs were even being met. Drinking numbed out that inner voice and those daunting questions. But what does this actually tell our children?

Children are smart and even when we don’t think they understand, they are picking up information about everything they are experiencing and observing!

While Christy used to joke about needing a drink in order to parent, she is clear she does not want her children to feel like their Mom needs a foreign substance in order to handle being their Mom!

Navigating parenting without mommy juice

When you finally clear alcohol from your system, you begin to feel as Christy describes, “normal again.” And the longer you’re away from alcohol, the more you discover what is actually supportive, restorative, and relaxing for you.

Here’s the thing. The alcohol industry preys on Moms, toting false stories about mommy juice and encouraging the use of drinking to decompress at the end of your day so you can shut off.

Connection, sleep, and movement are key for your mental, emotional, and physical health. Without supporting your wellbeing in these areas, you will be less capable of caring for your family.

In Christy’s experience, ditching alcohol is the best way to discover what truly supports you and your needs, giving you the restoration and energy needed to be present, love, and raise your children.

“I looked like I had all my sh*t together, but I was just so so broken… you feel like you're hiding almost, that you're not being who you really are. And I just didn't want to feel that way anymore. And I didn't want my kids to feel like they weren't a priority.” Christy Osborne

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED

Learn more about Christy and her coaching business through her website and by following her on Instagram.

If you're a new alcohol-free or sober coach, learn how to market yourself effectively, build systems to attract potential leads, grow on social media, and break past mindset blocks with Karolina’s Business Coaching.

Karolina’s book is available in hardcover, Kindle, and as an audiobook. Be sure to get your copy of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You today and leave your review.

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