A bride’s mind and body are taxed with trying to please others when the focus should be on her own wellbeing. Brides need time to improve their mental, emotional, and physical health, and practicing self-care is essential to being your best self. When we finish a Pilates class or get out of that nail appointment, 95% of the time you will feel much better coming out compared to when you walked in. This is why it is important for brides to fill their calendars with more of these self-care moments. These practices help brides conquer what may seem or may actually be the hardest battles.
Here are our top 8 ways to practice self-care during the wedding planning process:
1. Daily Meditation
The simplest way to practice self-care is to hit snooze for an extra 10 minutes, however, instead of going back to sleep turn on a meditation app a la Headspace and focus on yourself and the positive day you are about to have. Meditation is proven to help reduce stress, control anxiety and enhance self-awareness. So the next time your father decides to add a buddy to the already exceeded guest list, you can take a breath and think about the best way to handle the situation before lashing out.
2. Nail Appointment
We can all take a page out of Elle Woods’ book when life throws us a curveball. Maybe your family has you in tears over floral arrangements but it is no use arguing over spilled milk. Head to your trusty nail salon ASAP. Distract yourself from things beyond your control and try a fun color, so the next time someone asks to see your bling you have a perfect mani to top it off.
3. Spa Day
If a nail appointment alone is not cutting it, then go for the whole shebang. Book a massage or facial at the new spa you have had your eye on for a while. The last thing you want is for stress to show on your body on your wedding day. Make a commitment to yourself to do a certain number of appointments before your big day and dedicate time to removing those toxins from your body.
4. Morning Walk with Your Spouse-To-Be
While our future spouse may not show the struggles they endure as much as we do, it’s good to connect with your loved one through some quality time. That may be in the form of a 30 minute morning (or sunset) walk with your love. Better yet, make it a point not to talk about wedding plans during these 30 minutes. Talk about an exciting project you have at work, or a concert or sporting event you’ve been wanting to go to together and make a plan to do it. Fill your time with positive, happy moments together.
5. Sign Up For A Gym Membership
"Excercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands.” - Elle Woods
Weddings are good motivators to push us into the best and healthiest shape of our lives. Don’t let the stress of wedding planning take away from your time to focus on yourself. Your engagement is the best time to join a new gym or sign up for that yoga, pilates, or barre membership. Focus on these classes so you don’t get bogged down by the font on your invitations, and channel your energy into being the healthiest you on your wedding day.
6. Face Mask & Chill
A decent amount of wedding stress comes from dealing with a variety of personalities, so when you get a random text from your aunt discussing her long list of dietary restrictions, just ignore it. Spend your evening with a rom-com, face mask, and comfy robe and slippers combo.
7. Weekend Getaway
Sometimes you cannot wait until the honeymoon to get that much-needed couple time to zone out and enjoy each other’s company. Practice self-care with a weekend getaway to a town you have never been to or a glamping trip you’ve always wanted to go on. A remote night away is a luxury in itself, better yet book a place with little cell phone reception so you can avoid text messages from needy family members. It can all wait.
8. Happy Hour with Your Bestie
When all else fails, remember it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere! So call up your bestie and get a glass (or two) of champagne. That bottle has got your name on it girl, and you earned it!
Image via Damsel in Dior