Self-Care to Survive Wedding Planning Stress

While your wedding day will be one of the happiest days of your life, the planning leading up to it will probably be among the most stressful weeks of your life. From the invitations to the decor, the menu, the music, the transportation, the venue, and more - there’s plenty of decisions to be made, and they start to pile up fast.

The best way to survive wedding planning stress is to remember to take a moment for self-care. After all, you don’t want to self-combust from stress before you get the chance to say, “I do.”

Here are some essential tips on self-care to survive the wedding planning process.

Stick with a sleep schedule

It’s difficult to get yourself to bed at a reasonable time while juggling both your daily schedule and your many wedding planning tasks. However, getting enough Zzz’s is one of the most important ways to manage your health and wellness, and is an essential aspect of self-care.

People who practice a regular sleep schedule are shown to have improved concentration and productivity levels. Meanwhile, not getting enough sleep can increase your anxiety and cause you to become more irritable. Keeping your concentration and productivity up will undoubtedly help you keep up with all of the prospective wedding planning details, so try to set a bedtime and stick to it.

Manage your time as effectively as possible to get the most out of your day-to-day while leaving enough time for a good night’s sleep. If you don’t already utilize calendar alerts and reminder notes, they’re about to be your new best friend.

Treat physical symptoms of stress

Stress doesn’t only affect your mental health, it can affect your physical health and appearance as well. Try to get ahead of any physical symptoms of stress by taking preventative steps ahead of time and keeping treatments ready.

For example, to combat stress-induced breakouts, make sure you’re practicing a regular skincare routine and have spot treatments handy. Or, if you know that stress causes you to get cold sores, stock up on a treatment to manage them. Valacyclovir, an anti-viral suppressant taken by pill, is an effective treatment that can start working within 48 hours to treat a developing cold sore.

Defending your body against the physical signs of stress is an essential aspect of self-care. The more you know your body and how it reacts to stress, the more you can take preventative steps to care for yourself.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise helps to improve your mood, lower your stress levels, and boosts your self-esteem. Making time to hit the gym or go for a run everyday is a great way to manage the amount of stress and daily pressure you feel. If you don’t already have a fitness routine, the weeks leading up to your wedding is as perfect of a time as any to start.

You don’t need to start a heavy-duty workout plan to feel the benefits of regular exercise. Practicing yoga or fitting in a walk are all great ways to exercise for those who aren’t interested in starting a new gym membership. Workout apps that tailor your fitness routine to your daily schedule are a great alternative to the gym as well.

Take some ‘me’ time

It can be easy to lose yourself in the wedding planning process. With so many things to decide on, any time for yourself sometimes takes a backseat. However, one of the keys to self-care is the ability to take a moment to step back and breathe. Set aside some time for yourself to take a break, binge your favorite show, take a relaxing bath, or read a book you’ve been meaning to get to. Afterwards, you’ll be refreshed and ready to handle whatever stressful decision is next.