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Why you shouldn’t stress about your wedding planning
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting times of your life, but it can also be one of the most stressful. When things involve high expectations, money, family politics and co-ordination with all manner of suppliers and venues, then it’s almost a perfect recipe for raising your blood pressure. However, there are ways to cope with this – not least by acknowledging that wedding planning can be stressful and coming up with a few ways to manage stress and de-escalate tense situations. If you know what to do when you can feel yourself getting overwhelmed, you can avoid a pre-wedding meltdown and perhaps begin to enjoy the process.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Take A Break
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator align=”align_left” el_width=”50″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Even a small wedding is a huge, milestone event in our lives – and the lives of our family and friends. So it’s little wonder that it can get to the point where it feels as if you’re living and breathing all things wedding. That isn’t a healthy place to be, and it’s a big contributor to wedding stress. If it feels like you haven’t talked about anything not related to dresses or venues for a while, make a conscious decision to have a break. Set a time limit – say a weekend – and decide not to talk about the wedding. Or call your friends up and ask how they have been for a change rather than plunging into the latest saga with the tasting menus or that one great-aunt your mum is insisting you invite. Turning the focus off for a while gives your brain a chance to reset, and lets you see the bigger picture for a while.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Work With The Best Suppliers
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator align=”align_left” el_width=”50″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]A wedding involves so many moving parts all coming together, and that can create a certain amount of pressure. Relying on other people to deliver crucial parts of your big day can bring out your fear response and lead to stress. So take the time to have in-depth conversations before selecting those who will shape your big day, and check that they know exactly what you have in mind. When choosing a wedding photographer, find someone whose artistic vision and skills you trust to create the images you’ll love and keep forever – then you can relax on the day and focus on what is going on around you. The groundwork you put in up front, and the briefings you give people involved in your day are crucial – get these right, and you can know that you’re in safe hands.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Involve Other People
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator align=”align_left” el_width=”50″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Especially for certain types of personality, the idea of not doing absolutely everything themselves is hard – but learning how to delegate and involve others is a life skill that can really help to combat wedding-related stress. When you look at your wedding to-do list, think about it as a series of opportunities to call on friends and family for support and create a moment of bonding in the process. People generally love to be involved in a happy event, especially if you are appealing for their help or input on something specific to their skills. Make a fun event of things like filling out invitations by getting some food and drinks in and asking friends round to help. Everything feels like a lot less pressure when you can share the load and have some fun in the process.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Pick What You Can Control
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator align=”align_left” el_width=”50″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]There are two types of wedding related stress: productive and non-productive. Productive stress is about things that you can control or need to do. A little of it is a good motivator, so you just have to keep an eye that it doesn’t spiral out of control by splitting tasks down into a manageable series of steps, or adding a timescale against the jobs that you know you need to have done. Non-productive stress tends to be about things that you can’t have a hope of controlling. Worries like ‘will it rain on my wedding day?’, ‘will my guests actually enjoy themselves?’ and other things that you can’t hope to control. Learn how to let go of those things that you can’t control and concentrate on the ones where you can make a difference instead. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Try A Digital Detox
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator align=”align_left” el_width=”50″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Although social media tools can have a role to play in providing inspiration for your wedding, sometimes it’s good to know where to draw the line. If you’ve ended up going down a Pinterest rabbit hole until 2am looking at table decorating schemes or ended up in tears after spending too long looking at photoshopped images of flawless brides on Instagram, it could be time for a digital detox. The expectations and false reality that social media creates can be really unhelpful at a time of stress. Limiting your use can be a really helpful thing to do from time to time. There are a lot of studies that relate excessive social media use to unpleasant things like anxiety, body image issues, low confidence and sleep problems. Remember that your wedding is about you and your partner. That doesn’t involve staring at pictures of million pound receptions and wedding dress models for hours. Set a time limit on when and how you use social media and be mindful of how it affects your mood.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Set A Strong Bedtime Routine
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator align=”align_left” el_width=”50″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Worry and stress about your upcoming wedding can easily translate into a lack of sleep. And this quickly becomes a vicious circle, as when we aren’t well-rested, we find it so much harder to focus and are more irritable, plus more likely to make poor food choices and skip exercise. Sleep is a foundation habit for good mental and physical health, and at times of pressure – such as the run-up to your wedding – you need to prioritise it. Create a winding down routine that works for you. Some people find a simple at-home yoga routine useful, others like to use a mindfulness app to switch off, while others find a hot bath, calming music or a lavender pillow spray helps. Make sure your bedroom is dark enough and slightly cool in temperature and try banning smartphones, tablets and televisions, as these all emit blue light, which interrupts the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
If you learn to focus on what is important and what you can control, and prioritise wellbeing and relaxation, you can have a positive, stress free wedding!
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