7 Healthy Habits During Wedding Planning

Feature photo courtesy of Alicia Osborne

Whether your engagement period is three months or three years, it’s a unique time in your life where daydreams become planned reality. Alongside work, social commitments, everyday life and more, you’re taking on a new responsibility of planning one of the most important days of your life. Here are some tips to keep your mind, body and soul happy while planning and prepping for your soon-to-be favorite day.

1. Move your body 

   Identify an activity you enjoy. This could be joining workout classes, going on daily walks, doing a virtual yoga class, taking up tennis at a local court or joining a gym. Physical activity can benefit in boosting your mood, increasing energy, decreasing the risk of sickness, reducing stress, improving sleep and helping you reach any physical goals you may have.

2. Eat Well

   When life gets busy it’s easy to slip into the habit of takeout every night, or worse, skipping out on meals. Fueling your body with nutrient-packed dishes will give you the energy you need to tackle all your tasks. Protein- and fiber-rich meals are best for keeping you full and controlling your blood sugar. Cooking together or meal planning is a healthy and fun habit that can start off a marriage right. This doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in your cravings — or taste all the cake samples — it simply means being cognizant of regular, healthy habits.

3. Get Enough Sleep

   Staying up late to plan wedding details after work? Struggling to fall asleep as you worry about seating charts? That stress you’re feeling, sleep is essential to decreasing it. A rested mind thinks more clearly and is ready to tackle issues. Getting seven to nine hours of sleep can enhance your mood, increase cognitive function and strengthen the immune system — you don’t want to be sick for your wedding. To improve your sleep, consider avoiding screens at least one hour before bedtime, if not more. If you must interact with a screen, invest in blue light glasses. When preparing for bed, make a routine of dimming the lights, taking a hot shower or bath and sipping sleepy time tea. Stop drinking caffeine at least five hours before bed and avoid alcohol for optimal rest. A dark, quiet room and a comfortable temperature make for the best sleep.

4. Practice Gratitude

   In the midst of the chaos, taking moments for gratitude can help center the mind. When feeling overwhelmed or regularly while performing simple tasks like brushing your teeth, ground yourself by focusing on your senses. What do you see, hear, touch, taste and smell? Focusing on your surroundings can center you in the present and increase the joy of life’s simple pleasures. Journaling can help to quiet your thoughts, work through your emotions and confirm positive affirmations. Take five to 10 minutes in the morning or at the close of the day to write down your thoughts, feelings and a few things you’re grateful for. Meditation will calm the mind, improve concentration, hone focus and relax the body. You can do a self-guided meditation, or use an app or video, to help ground yourself.

   

5. Establish a Routine You Enjoy

   A lifelong life hack is to establish routines you enjoy and stick to them — whether it be an hour alone with coffee and a crossword on Sunday mornings or a weekly Friday date night with your partner. Enjoyable routines provide moments of consistent reprieve. Leading up to the wedding, you can implement routines to help juggle planning. Clear your schedule for a weekly planning session with your partner. Equally, allot time to clear all discussion of planning from the table and reset.

6. Create Boundaries

   Boundaries are always important, but especially so when in the midst of wedding planning. You’re so often bombarded with wedding content which can lead to comparison or doubt. Avoid this by creating boundaries around the content you consume. Only interact with accounts and people who make you feel good and worthy of celebration. Limit the time you spend each week on social media or any other activity that dwindles your positivity surrounding your wedding. Boundaries also extend to people. Distance yourself from anyone who is reflecting negatively on your wedding experience. If it’s someone unavoidable, say a parent, be open with them about how they can make the experience easier for you.

7. Prioritize Connection

   During the wedding planning process and all the festivities that follow, allow time in your life to be surrounded by your favorite people. Whether dress shopping with your mom, planning a bachelorette with your best friends or making decisions with your partner, try to be intentional with those moments. They will pass quicker than you know so take the time to write thank you notes, give gifts and be fully present in each moment.