Tamzen's Bridal at Butler Manor

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Stress can be such an allusive concept that manifests itself in a variety of ways from person to person. Stress can make it difficult to get quality Zzzzzzs, cause an imbalance in your lady hormones, or be at the bottom of pesky skin breakouts. And while these symptoms are bad enough, they just skim the surface of the impacts stress can have on the mind and body.

As a bride to be, it’s likely your stress levels are higher than usual. Creating a guest list, seating assignments, choosing a DJ, favors, bridesmaids dresses, menu, the perfect floral arrangements, a wedding gown, veil, venue. . . it’s all a bit exhausting. It can be incredibly overwhelming if you don’t take the necessary steps to manage the stress that could be caused by planning your wedding day.

At Tamzen’s Bridal, we aim to make choosing your wedding gown, bridesmaids dress and wedding day accessories an enjoyable experience, however, we understand that choosing a gown and bridesmaids dresses is only one piece of the puzzle. With that in mind we like to encourage our brides to take a few additional steps to help manage some of the stressors that may accompany their wedding day.

Ways to beat that Wedding Planning Stress:

  • 4-7-8 breathing: exhale completely, breath in for four counts, hold your breath for seven counts and exhale completely through your mouth for eight counts. Repeat this cycle for a total of four times. This exercise serves as pseudo tranquilizer by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. (4-7-8 breathing may also help when trying to fall asleep).

  • Get out and move: engaging in regular physical activity will not only help build that wedding day bod you’re looking for, but it also increases hippocampal volume. A part of the limbic system, the hippocampus is important in processing information and forming memories, organizing information, and aids in concentration. With regular exercise you’ll be better equipped to tackle those wedding day challenges. Throw on your favorite podcast and go for a thirty-minute walk or hop on a stationary bike at the gym.

  • Meditate: Even brief mindfulness meditation training each day can reduce psychological stress reactivity. Before you get out of bed in the morning, before even reaching for your phone, take a few minutes to set mindful intentions for the day. Keep your eyes closed, inhaling deeply through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth.   Not only will meditating help set your intentions for the day, but it will also increase your self-awareness, which will only be of benefit during times when you can feel your stress levels rising. There are several mediation apps out there that are super helpful when learning to meditate, Headspace is a favorite of ours here at Tamzen’s Bridal.

  • Hit the mat: You don’t have to be a yogi to reap the stress reduction benefits of a regular yoga practice. Studies have shown that yoga has significant impacts on stress and anxiety and causes an improvement in quality of life scores. Yoga has been known to decrease stress more than ordinary relaxation, so instead of spending an afternoon on the couch, roll out a yoga mat and breath deeply. You can always find a yoga studio near you, but if you’d rather practice at home, we enjoy Yoga with Adriene and Do Yoga with Me.

  • Get social: This one’s easy! Get out with the girls or family and just enjoy yourself. Social contacts have been proven to lower allostatic loads (stress). So why not grab lunch with the girls or meet for a fitness class to get your mind of whatever it may be that’s causing you stress.

Regulating stress is important no matter what phase of life you may be traveling through, but it’s especially important when planning your wedding. We want you to enjoy every step of the wedding planning process and we know you do too!