It will be the happiest day of your life. That’s what everyone has been saying to you. Why then do you feel nauseous, stressed, and fraught with worry? Wedding stress is a genuine and difficult emotion to deal with. Here’s how to minimise your stress levels to avoid ruining your wedding day.
Accept less than perfect
Very few things in life are perfect. There probably isn’t such a thing as the perfect dress or perfect day. Once you accept that idea, everything becomes much easier. You will create a lovely day full of beautiful things and moments. There may, however, be hiccups, niggles and even the odd family row. Embrace all the messy bits and love your day. Release the pressure valve on perfect and relax.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness can help to reduce wedding anxiety and centre your thoughts on the things that matter. Mindfulness means tuning in on the present moment and focusing on your breathing as a way of lowering stress and anxiety. It’s straightforward, you can practice it anywhere and it can have an immediate and significant impact on how you are feeling. A good tool for everyday life, it can be particularly useful around a significant event like a wedding.
Laugh about it
It’s easy to start to get very serious when it comes to your wedding. Suddenly every minor detail of your flowers is of world crashing significance, and before you know it a case of the bridezillas is creeping in and consuming you. Try to take a step back from setbacks and smile over the small stuff, rather than sweating about it. This is where checking in with your partner or friends to see the silly side of things can really help.
Ask for help
You are strong, independent, and generally awesome. This does not mean you can tackle every single aspect of your wedding on your own. You will need significant help in the lead up to your day and this is not a bad thing. The people that love you will always be happy to lend a hand, be that organising, crafting, or just acting as a sounding board for your ideas. Embrace the help that is offered and reduce your stress levels.
Don’t go on crash diets
So many brides equate skinniness with happiness. Hunger doesn’t make you happy. It makes you irritable, unhealthy and leaves you weeping in a corner as the chocolate pangs hit hard. Your partner is marrying you for you, all of you, including the cuddly bits. If you’re keen to get healthy pre-wedding, eat whole, healthy foods and up your activity levels. Crash diets will have as much negative impact on your mental well-being as they do on your physical.
Get Enough Sleep
In the immediate run-up to your wedding, getting shut eye can be the last thing on your mind as last minute planning takes over. Ensuring you are having enough sleep can make a great difference to your stress level as a well-rested brain functions much better than a bleary-eyed one. If you’re struggling to sleep try reducing caffeine and food in the run up to bedtime as well as cutting out mobile devices for at least 3 hours before you sleep.
Split the wedding chores
Although getting married is all about forming a partnership, it often falls to the bride to complete the majority of the wedding chores. It’s 2017 so let’s all practice a little more equality and split as many of the wedding jobs as you can down the middle. Reducing your to-do list is sure to relieve some of the pressure you are feeling.
Your wedding is likely to be a glorious mix of the wonderful and the difficult. Stop trying to create a picture perfect day, and put your energy into what matters most to you.
