Contraception: coming off the ‘pill’, mindfulness & taking care of yourselves mentally

Hello my angels, welcome back to another Friday post.

This is a more personal post, all about my schedule (that’s not as personal), the pill, coming off it & mindfulness & a few of my top tips. But it’ll all be explained as you read on.

I’ve got such a busy schedule at the moment. I’ve got so many projects / assignments / photoshoots to complete for before Xmas & just after. So I’m trying to get them all done, as well as blog because I truly love blogging & showing you all some insights into my life. I then have birthdays coming up, my boyfriends, mine, then one of my best-friends, then my dads and then it’s christmas & New Years ahhhhh. Just so much to do.

To add onto that bundle, I’m going up to see my boyfriend in Hull today for the weekend because it’s his winter ball. I’m super excited! I went last year & had a really good time, but this year will hopefully be even better because it’s in an Aquarium !!! The ball is in the Aquarium hahah, so I’m looking forward to seeing the venue & hopefully saving all the fish. (I might just sneak behind the scenes & try to save all the fish I can). The thing is, I absolutely love to see fish in Aquariums and those kinds of places, however I’m against it because I believe they should be in the wild, or have MUCH MORE space. But anyhow, the venue is the Aquarium and I’m sure it’ll be beautiful.

My dress is just a long black dress, and i’m sure you’ll be seeing pictures of the night on my next blog post (on Tuesday). I’ve bought some killer heels, ( from M&S may I add) and they’re fabulous. So with a lil bag, some funky heels & a sleek dress, i’ll be ready to party.

The coach up however … takes nearly 5 hours. Save me pls. I do prefer coaches to other transport, purely because I can have the seats to myself & there’s hardly anyone that goes on them. Selfish I know hahah.

Anyhow, this is how busy I am. I feel like I have no time at the moment for myself. I’ve felt like this for a while to be honest. Feeling sort of “lost”.

But writing this post will hopefully help me in the process to take care of myself more.

For many girls & women out there, the majority of us are on some sort of contraception. We’re the ones who go onto the pills for: 1) contraceptive reasons 2) periods 3) acne / skin issues 4) and other possible reasons for the pill / contraception.

I’ve recently decided to come off the pill. I had been on many different kinds of the pill for around 4 years, and honestly I wanted to just have a break from it & see if my mindset / moods change. I feel like I’ve become a different person for a few years now, not as happy or cheerful as I used to be. It’s down to many different things in my life, but I feel like the pill had greatly enhanced my mood swings & emotions.

I’ve spoken to a few people about this, my sister, parents, friends & nurses about these issues. I wanted to see if they had problems with the pill mentally & to ask them if they’re ok. It’s important to ask those around you how they’re feeling & how they’re coping with life. You never know what people are truly thinking, and you never want to bottle it all up. Please speak out if you’re struggling with mental health or the pill.

Speaking to nurses about it did help me. It’s taken me so long to be able to go to the doctors & genuinely speak about the pill & the side effects from it. Knowing all this information now, I’ve decided to come off it & try other methods of contraception.

The pill has other hormones inside it that doesn’t mix well with everyone. I believe this is why my negative thoughts have been enhanced. I’ve also watched lots of youtubers & bloggers speak about their pills & how it’s affected them. It’s quite calming to know that it’s not just me going through it. Always remember, you’re never alone! We all have different lives & they can tumble & fall at times. But you’re never alone, help is always there. It’s hard for others who don’t have these issues to believe that it’s truly hard to ask for help. But hopefully people will slowly understand that it’s so tough asking some one for help or telling someone your story. But it’s possible & it works.

So as an update, I’m coming off the pill to test how my body / mind reacts to my own hormones again. I’ve decided to schedule all my work & just try to get back on track. I’d really like to know how any of you have found the pill or any other forms of contraception & how it’s possible affected your daily life. Feel free to message me, because I promise I’m not being nosey, I just like to be more informed about the pill & the possible side effects.

We can all have bad days & times when we really don’t feel worthy of anything. But you’re all perfect in every way & we should be proud & lucky to be here. But if you’re honestly feeling not yourself and really down, speak to someone. A nurse, family member, a friend.

Ways that I try to stay peaceful & calm after struggling with my mental health:

• sleep – having enough sleep is so important. I try to get around 8 hours of sleep every night.
• shower / wash your face – I feel like when I have a shower that I’m more ready for the day. I feel like I can take on more jobs and I’m just ready to begin with a fresh face.
• write it all down – writing all your feelings down on paper or in your notes is a great way to vent out how you’re feeling. It’s a way to get it all out safely.
• speak to someone – nurse, doctor, friend, family, other half. It’s really hard to do this. But it does help. Or write it all down & just give it to them if you can’t physically say it all.
• water & food – I’m not talking about engulfing a mass amount of food, but just having a movie day, with a bowl of chocolate or sometime & just truly relaxing for a day. Also, keep hydrated. It’s VERY important for your mind & body.
• music – music honestly can make you feel that tiny bit better, I’d recommend not to listen to sad music, it doesn’t really help. But listen to calming noises. When I’m not having a good week or day or month, I try to listen to tropical sounds, such as trees swaying or waves at the beach. Natural sounds are more calming.
• pets – cuddle your pet. It works. My dog, buddy, knows when I’m upset or feeling down & he is just the perfect dog to comfort me when I need it. Hugging your pets is a great therapeutic way to calm down your nerves or anxiety.

Just remember, you’re never alone my angels. These won’t magically ‘fix’ your mind, but they can slowly help you progress & better yourselves.

If anyone needs a message, feel free to rant to me. I’m not a nurse at all, but I can relate to the pill problems etc.

Thank you for reading my angels.

Love, Sophie Eleanor xo