The words ‘wedding’ and ‘stress’ may as well be synonymous. Don’t get me wrong: planning a wedding is an amazing time in your life, but planning a celebration of love is not without its stressors.
Michael and Carina Photography
Before you know it, you’ve gone from registering for Waterford crystal and trying on gowns fit for the Oscars to answering texts from distant relatives pestering you about where to stay, what airport to fly into, and so many other questions that can all be answered on your wedding website.
The Problem
It’s not uncommon for the sheer bliss of an engagement to quickly become all about fielding questions, planning gluten-free menus for your guests, sending registry links to your fiance’s internet-challenged grandmother, and finding out the full names of guests named Jim (James) and Kenny (Kenneth) for the calligrapher. Once that begins, it’s no wonder some brides suffer hair loss from all the stress!
The Solution
So how, you ask, can a bride avoid the anxiety that comes with her long list of wedding to-dos?
Meditation.
If you’re anything like me, you might receive those texts, plan those menus, and respond to those emails in an emotional way—often feeling annoyed or frazzled. Sometimes venting to your partner is enough to make you feel better and move on (although my fiance doesn’t love this strategy), but meditation is a far more productive way to deal with my frustration.
How it Works
I use meditation as a substitute for having an emotional reaction, which, if I’m being honest, is usually a negative one.
Meditation helps me to bypass any bad thoughts or feelings by allowing me to take a step back and process that emotion in a calm, productive manner. I do five or ten minutes at a time and feel totally refreshed, ready to forge ahead on the wedding planning journey.
This zen approach may be as simple as finding a quiet spot in your home and taking a few deep breaths, or you may want a bit more guidance, which is the route I’ve chosen.
My recommendations for effective meditation:
Download a meditation app. I’ve tried several, but my favorite is Simple Habit. I love that you can specify how much time you have (options range from five to 20 minutes) and what you’re doing (commuting, going to sleep, preparing for a big event, etc.), and I love that most of the sessions are voiced by an ostensibly unflappable Australian woman with a fantastic accent.
Use headphones. It is SO easy to be thrown off by your fiance loading the dishwasher or your dog barking, but distractions like that are significantly minimized when using headphones.
Put some physical space between yourself and others, just for those few minutes. You can sit in your closet, in the bathroom, in your bedroom — I’ve even gone and sat in my car. It’s tempting for people around you to interrupt with a pressing question or in my case, my goldendoodle scampers over to lick my face.
Don’t worry about all the traditional meditation rules like “sit with your back perfectly straight,” and the like. Sit however you feel comfortable, listen to what the nice Australian lady says, and all will be forgotten.
Style Me Pretty Contributor – Molly Winding is a freelance writer from Denver, Colorado, where she lives with her fiance and their goldendoodle, Stevie Nicks. She is a major foodie, health nut, and world-travel enthusiast who is always on the hunt for her next great story.