Self-care Sunday | An update since I got off the pill (and other topics)

"Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week" — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hello, beautiful people! I hope everyone's doing well. As for me, I'm okay. These past weeks the ups and downs have been rather extreme, but I'm trying harder to regain balance. We don't know how blessed we are to have a well-regulated nervous system until we don't. Although it has not been easy at all, I can say I'm moving forward, and I'm thankful for that.

Fifteen days ago, I started this Self-care Sunday series to keep track of the upcoming changes in my lifestyle, since I decided to get off the hormonal birth-control I had been taking for two years. In that first post of the series, I also talked about my weekly unwinding routine to reset and feel grounded. I intend to improve it and be consistent, with the goal of incorporating more joy into my life. I wish to share that journey with you.
 

 

The changes I've noticed

While doing some research, I read that it takes at least 1-3 months for the body to self-regulate the hormone production, after a period of taking exogenous hormones for contraception. The process should restore the normal functioning of the woman's menstrual cycle, with the same characteristics it had before going on birth control. My PMS has always been quite noticeable regarding symptoms, and the cramps are usually painful. So, that won't be changing much; even on the pill that part stayed the same. Therefore, I'll rely on improving my nutrition and cycling certain foods to alleviate the monthly physical ailments related to menstruation.

Now, on the psychological/neurological aspect, I've noticed that my mood swings have been more violent lately, and I really don't like that. It requires much more effort to not lash out at people or feel devastated for the smallest situations. Also, the upside of the mood swings is hard to surf and control, and often the exaggerated elation burns quickly and leaves me exhausted after. I'm not entirely sure yet if this is related to the hormonal disorder preceding self-regulation, but it could be. Hopefully, this phase will end soon, or at least ease a bit. I'd like to feel good and comfortable about being a woman, in every sense.
 

 

My plans for this Sunday

Today I woke up in a really good mood. I tend to sleep naked (but with a cozy blanket) and in the mornings my body temperature feels quite comfortable. Most days, I can avoid using my phone first thing after waking up, but I failed this time haha I scrolled for a while, reading cool posts from my Hive feed. Then, when I turned around, it turns out that my partner was awake too and none of us had noticed that the other one was unsleeping! That made us crack a few laughs. I love laughing when I'm still in bed, it sets me up for a great start to the day.
 

 
For breakfast, we made panini and coffee. For my partner, ham & cheese and an americano, or guayoyo, as we call it here. For me, cheese & tomato and a latte. Then, my partner went out to buy groceries and I stayed to write. I was planning on painting a bit too, but I might not have enough time today. I'm okay with that, will catch up during the workweek.

Later, we will do some cardio and bodyweight exercises, to not lose the habit. Or should I say, to establish it in the first place haha! Cardio tends to be neglected by most people, and I think it's because they haven't found yet a form of cardio they actually enjoy. My first options would be bike riding outdoors, or swimming, but these are not currently accommodating with my life/the place I live in. The next best thing, and what we do, is jumping rope. A few months ago I bought one from a Rush Athletics affiliate in my country, and I've been loving it. Not so consistently so far, but loving it anyway.

For lunch, we will have fusilli with both bechamel and neapolitan sauce, with cheese of course. Yummm! I call this the pasticcio pasta because it tastes just about the same. Then, we'll pack a few things and go to my partner's best friend's place. We'll have a sushi & movies night! I'm quite happy about it. I had talked to the said buddy about my friendlessness situation and it looks like he wanted to be supportive and spend some quality time with us. My partner hasn't tried sushi before, and I'm not so knowledgeable either, so this will be interesting. I think he might like the tempura kind.
 

 
Overall, yes, I'm okay. Getting better, willing to put in the work to be happy and healthy. As I said two weeks ago,

Most Sunday nights I'm caught by the desire for Monday to arrive, can you believe that? In a society where that day is despised, I've discovered the formula to receive the working week with a smile and renovated energy. I'm so thankful for that!

What about you? How are you spending your Sunday? I'd love to read all about it!

^{I'd like to thank you for reading this. I hope my words resonated with you in some way. If they did, or even if they didn't, I'd like to further connect with you, so I invite you to drop a comment and I'll answer it as soon as I can.}