Feeling Anxious Before Your Wedding? Follow These 3 Tips to Manage Stress
Summer wedding season is quickly approaching, and if your own special day is on the horizon, you’re likely feeling a bit anxious. Pre-wedding stress is absolutely normal—but just because it’s common doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it.
If wedding jitters are keeping you from enjoying this special time in your life, read on. We work with many Maryland brides at our plastic surgery practice, and we’ve learned a thing or two about managing wedding stress over the years.
1. Don’t hesitate to delegate
One of the main reasons many brides have such high stress levels leading up to their wedding is simply that they’re trying to do it all. Even small weddings require a lot of moving parts—and it’s too much to expect one person to handle it all. If you find yourself unable to sleep because you can’t figure out how to fit in a dress fitting while signing off on the final menu and checking in on flowers, it’s time to let someone else take the wheel.
Giving up even a small amount of control can be scary, but trying to manage everything solo will only serve to amplify your stress and detract from your enjoyment of your own wedding. Don’t be scared to ask family members and close friends to help out—chances are they will want to do whatever they can to make sure your day is seamless and beautiful.
If you simply can’t relinquish certain tasks, start small. Have your BFF with beautiful handwriting address invitations, get your mother-in-law off your back by having her verify vendors, or ask your cousin to look over your finalized seating chart.
Most importantly, don’t forget to involve your soon-to-be-spouse in areas where they feel comfortable helping. While it’s normal for one half of a partnership to be naturally more adept at planning, the day is about both of you—and both of you can play a part in ensuring everything will work out perfectly.
2. Consider journaling
A personal journal can help you keep track of details as well as keep the bigger picture in mind. Many journalers report that putting things to paper also helps them deal with negative feelings or stress in a healthy way.
Buy a beautiful journal and a pen that you actually enjoy writing with. You only need to set aside a few minutes each day for journaling, and there are no rules regarding what you write or how much. The physical act of writing alone can be quite soothing.
Besides helping you cope with pre-wedding stress, a journal may help you recall funny moments and see ones that were less-than-humorous at the time in a new way when you read the entries again down the road. Whatever it contains, it is likely to become a treasured way to look back on one of the most special times in your life.
3. Take time for you…even if you have to schedule it in
Life can be hectic at the best of times, and wedding planning only adds fuel to the fire. As you run around making sure your wedding is perfect, don’t forget to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Self-care is an important aspect of day-to-day life, but it is especially crucial during times of stress. In fact, it’s so important that if you’re living by your day-planner in the months leading up to your wedding, you should make sure to schedule in at least 30 minutes per day that are just for you.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few ways to make sure your health doesn’t take a back seat:
Pick up your favorite book or queue up a podcast and soak in a warm bubble bath. If sitting still in the face of a growing to-do list is hard, take the time to exfoliate your skin, shave your legs, or give yourself an at-home pedi—these things are purely for you but will also help you feel and look great for your big day.
Don’t drop your workout routine…or overdo it. Physical activity has been proven to have a positive impact on your emotional and psychological health, which is a great perk when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Whether you take a daily walk, hit the gym, or quietly move through your vinyasa routine at home, make sure you don’t put exercise on the back burner. That being said, try to avoid overdoing it to meet a certain goal—drastically changing your routine is a good way to injure yourself, and we don’t want you to miss out on the first dance.
Find time to meditate. This can be something as simple as a quiet moment with your eyes closed to following a particular meditation ritual. For your busiest times, we love guided meditation apps. They’re usually quick, easy to follow, and can be done practically anywhere.
Relax and pamper your skin. In addition to helping you glow on your wedding day, giving your skin a little TLC can boost your confidence and is even proven to help you feel more relaxed. At home, try following a beauty routine every day. It doesn’t have to be a time-consuming, multi-step ritual, but making time to cleanse your face and apply a rich cream before bed is a great way to let the worries of the day go.
For a special treat, book yourself a professional skin treatment and let someone else take care of you. We recommend the DiamondGlow facial for many of the brides who come to our office. This gentle treatment hydrates, exfoliates, cleanses, and delivers antioxidants to your skin—and it takes only around an hour to get glowing skin that looks and feels amazing. DiamondGlow also helps with reducing stress-induced breakouts that plague many brides-to-be. Dr. Henry Garazo also offers a number of other skin treatments, so contact us to book a consultation.
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