Social Media Guilt and the Inspo Behind Detox on the Rocks

I can’t believe this weekend marks the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Detox on the Rocks!

If you’re reading this, your probably one of the inspirations behind Detox on the Rocks. If I know you at all, you’re probably one of the many motivating factors behind why I started to blog.

After wanting to start a blog for a couple years but feeling kind of stuck in terms of which direction I wanted to go in, it wasn’t until there was a certain topic that popped into my mind every. single. day. that I eventually realized the story I wanted to tell. I wanted to create a community around shifting the conversation about health and wellness.

And if you’ve ever been on any social media platform, I’m talking to you.

Let’s Talk Social Media Guilt

Remember back when people used to blame celebrities and tabloids for causing low self esteem and eating disorders? If only that were still all we had to have us questioning our self confidence.

We no longer have to wait in line at the grocery store or watch a music video to have us questioning ourselves. Our alarm goes off, we grab our phones to shut it off, and instantly check instagram, facebook, twitter, our favourite blogs…

Before we’ve even made it to the kitchen to make our coffee, we’re wondering… what’s going to be healthiest. I could really use some coffee. But should I start with hot lemon water and ACV first? Then coffee… with unsweetened almond milk…and collagen… and coconut oil… and some of that adaptogen powder. Yes.

Or do I want a smoothie? Then its a beverage and a meal. But smoothies have a lot of sugar. I won’t do fruit. Shit, is my protein powder gluten, dairy, soy free AND vegan? Damn, I really need a coffee. Is this coffee organic enough? 

We’re worried about every single thing we use being sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, high in healthy fats, grass fed protein, vegan, plant based….  omg the list could go on. I’m not saying I never do this. Yes, I stress the importance of reading a label and knowing what’s in your food. But is that why you’re making these decisions? To actually be aware of what your body needs and what will do it some good?

I feel like I’ve watched girls I know stress over these things without really understanding why (I’m no expert either!) and ultimately, doing more harm to their bodies and health goals than any good.

Then there’s our daily routines….

Do I have time for a detox bath before work? And a face mask? Time to whip out the eye masks, the serums, the oils, the moisturizers, facial messager, ice roller, jade roller…. because EVERY girl has time to do this every day right? 

Everything I’ve mentioned above… I love them too. I do! In fact, I talk about them all the time. And I wish I had time for that stuff every day… I mean, I’m constantly expressing the importance of self care. But is it really taking care if yourself if everyday you’re comparing yourself to girls who make millions to afford the things they have and the time to do them?

And again, I can’t stress enough on the importance of knowing what you’re putting in your body. But I see girls constantly getting wrapped up in what they’re seeing other people do that they’re not even questioning it OR considering weather or not it’s right for them.

The Summer I’ll Never Forget

There was this one summer in particular that I always think back to. I worked in a place that was predominantly female. And these girls were 10’s. Like, hard 10’s. Beautiful, smart, charismatic, tons of shit going on for themselves. Ya know.

I watched them all obsess over their… diet? Or lack there of? I’m not sure. But they would juice cleanse for weeks. Not realizing that they were drinking just sugar all day and not getting any protein or healthy fat. They’d eat lettuce with lemon and oil and nothing else.  I saw them losing weight, but becoming bloated and soft looking (although, still absolutely gorgeous) I watched them deal with skin issues and their hair falling out. They were then on to taking all these vitamins and supplements for acne and hair loss. They were running 15K a day but not doing anything to tone. I remember girls being too weak to even be at work. And at times, even having to leave because they were basically shitting their pants.

I realized these girls stressed about every single thing they consumed. Every action they made. NOTHING seemed enjoyable. Like they couldn’t just sit and have a glass of wine over a shared appetizer. And on top of that, they were just becoming more and more unhealthy.

It’s not just Diet. This Shit is Everywhere

After kind of taking note of this, I realized this is everywhere. And in so many aspects. We see instagram bloggers #hustling and then going to bed early and doing yoga everyday and making extravagant smoothie bowls with fruit and seeds from a grocery store in Bali.

Really?

These lifestyles seem great. But now, here we are, coming home late at night from our second jobs, probably eating at a weird hour because it’s been 7.5 hours since our last meal. And waking to a full fat latte and toast with whatever the fuck kind of nut butter is in our pantry. Should we really feel guilty about this?

Let’s Shift the Convo

My goal with Detox on the Rocks was to shift this conversation.

Here’s what you have to remember about what people post on social media:

♥ People are going to show their best selves
♥ A lot of people are “content creators” – meaning, you may follow them for all their healthy recipes, because if that’s what their audience is enjoying and engaging with, they work hard to continue to provide that for you. This doesn’t mean it’s their everyday.

I love to eat healthy and rest and do yoga and skin care is very very important to me. However, I’m also a night owl. A wine lover. A margarita lover. A Netflix lover. As much as I hate the word “balance”, it’s all about fucking balance.

Have your wine. Have a bottle… with great friends. Just make sure to wash your face before bed and sleep in if you have to. Sweat the next day and eat clean. Your body will need it. Need a day off from the gym? Take it. Then get back at it. Love to have some sugar in your coffee? Only have it in your first one of the day. Cook at home. Cut back on eating out. Move your body.

Ultimately, learn from the health tips your fave girls are sharing on instagram but also learn to question them. Take what works for you and turn that into your own routines.

For those of you who follow Detox on the Rocks on any platform and those in the Wellness & Wine community,  I hope you take every health tip I share and make it your own and I hope you have a glass of wine in your hand as you read this!

XOXO