You guys know that I’m all about living intentionally, daily routines & self-care. I feel they’re the pillars to a life well lived [and an important part of creating structure and discipline in order to not stray the course].

We all have different ideas about what we want our lives to look like, but at the end of the day I’m sure we can agree that everyone wants happiness and fulfillment. For me, I want to build a massive career and create change, be able to take care of my family and enjoy all the little moments and milestones in life.

Living intentionally means taking charge of your future. And an important way to do that is by taking charge of your health with informed choices about contraception. Choosing the birth control that best suits your lifestyle and allows you to stay focused on your goals, your well-being, and on leading the meaningful life you want.

As someone with a platform in this space, I felt it was partially my responsibility to bring this topic to the blog. You know, considering this is something that half of the population deals with! And my IUC story provides the backstory for you to understand how I even really got into skincare a few years ago!
(details below)

This International Women’s Day, I’m participating in the #MeAndIUC campaign to bring awareness to a topic that I feel is little talked about.

#MeAndIUC is a birth control education movement designed to help women make informed contraceptive decisions, empowering them to accomplish their goals and live with intention.

MY IUC STORY

I have always taken an oral birth control pill, thinking I was doing the “responsible” thing. Long story short, after years of taking the pill I had developed Melasma above my lip. So, basically a dark moustache. Alarming, to say the least. But I made a doctors apt and got in to see my physician who let me know that after years of taking the pill coupled with sun exposure (I had just gotten back from a trip to Hawaii), I had developed Melasma and the only way around it was to switch to another option.

Initially, I hesitated. Doing anything else seemed super unknown and kinda gross TBH. BUT, my doctor also let me know that due to family history as well as the fact that I have experienced migraines with vision loss that I was at risk of a stroke. So, that pretty much made my decision a whole lot easier.

After talking to my doctor and doing my own research, I decided to stop taking the pill and switch to a copper IUD. Trust me when I say that this hesitation was completely unnecessary. Only took 5 mins and works for 5 years before you’d have to replace it (or not). I wish I had known more about my options and that I actually didn’t need to be nervous about making this switch. I guess the important lesson here is to make sure you are advocating for yourself. Do your research, talk to the experts and listen to what feels right for YOU.

The first thing I did was book an apt. to get my IUD at my family doctors. The second thing I did was visit Project Skin to see what could be done, externally. I don’t like wearing a ton of makeup and I rarely wear foundation day-to-day. Maybe some tinted bb cream, but I like to keep my skin clean and breathing as much as possible.

They were so helpful in educating me about melasma and skin pigmentation issues. We went over what I was currently doing, did a re-vamp of my skincare products and they got me on a regular routine. We also did a series of laser treatments that helped clear my skin and tone down the dark pigmentation. It was around this time (I guess….2014?) that I became SUPER interested in skincare and how to properly take care of my skin.

WHY A VISION BOARD

Getting back to intentional living, visualization is one of the most powerful exercises your mind can do. It helps narrow down and focus in on what you want to achieve and how you want to feel along the way. Having a visual representation of that sitting by your desk everyday is a sure way to ingrain those feelings/thoughts/intentions into your mind. Hence why I have an entire wall dedicated to my vision. It’s my life-size mood board and I like to switch it up all the time.

HOW TO CREATE A VISION BOARD

Step 1: think about your life now and your next steps. This could include your career, relationships, finances, home, health, travel, personal growth, social life, education, contraception, and everything in between.

Step 2: set the mood. This parts important. I truly believe that your environment influences how you feel. I know that I need to feel inspired in my space in order to produce the best work or be my best self, for that matter. The littlest things help! So light a beautiful candle, clear your space and your mind to create your vision for the future.

Step 3: grab your supplies. All you will need to create a mood wall like mine, is magazines/images + double sided tape. I feel like ppl assume I’m using something special to actually stick the images to the wall but as long as you’re careful, I’ve had no trouble removing anything.

Step 4: assemble! This is the fun part. There are no rules or method to follow, just do what feels right. I just switched up my wall the other day and I have to say, I’m loving what I’m seeing RN but every couple months I like to replace some for new images that reflect a clearer vision for my life.

So, go figure out how you can live life intentionally starting today! Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get you on the right track:

+ what habits will help achieve your goals?
+ what are your intentions for the year ahead?
+ what type of success do you want to create for yourself?
+ what experiences will you have this year?
+ where will you be going? why?
+ what will you achieve this year?

How are you living intentionally?

This post was sponsored. As always, all comments and opinions are my own.