Managing Wedding Stress

So I have about five months left until our wedding. Things are getting pretty tense in my world. I don't know why I thought I could plan a wedding, finish my last semester of school, and prepare for medical school all at the same time. But anyways, I am dealing with a lot of stress right now, and I am sure that this is something most brides go through, so I decided to find some good tips on how to manage stress leading up to your wedding day. I need to take some of this advice, because I need to stop taking my stress out on other people, especially my future hubby. So here we go. I got these tips from Ask.com and these tips were written by Craig Weber, MD.

1. Get Organized

Setting clear timelines and priorities will help eliminate unexpected complications from daily events and create a sense of empowerment and control.

2. Work it Off
A regular exercise program provides both physical and mental benefits. Physically, exercise helps release stress relieving hormones. Mentally, the time can serve as an important refuge in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

3. Develop Strategies
Stress is never completely unavoidable. To help deal with life's stressful situations, take some time to develop strategies to deal with unexpected moments. Whether it's having a backup ride for the kids or a Plan B dinner, simple strategies will go a long way to simplifying and deconstructing stressful situations.

4. Take 5
Everyone needs some quite time during a busy day. The "Take 5" rule works in both an organized an unorganized way. Building in small segments of quiet time will allow time to catch your breath and review daily goals. Being able to detach from an unexpected situation, even for a few minutes, will provide valuable respite and a fresh point of view.

5. Set Realistic Goals
Nobody likes to fail. Yet, one of the fundamental failings of modern goal setters is a tendency to set overreaching, potentially unattainable goals. Keep daily goals well focused, task oriented, and realistic.

6. Take a Nap
The idea of the afternoon nap is actually built into the fundamental functioning of many European cultures. Yet, in the hard working environment of American corporate and family culture, this valuable tool is often overlooked. Studies have show that even short 15 or 20 minute nap breaks markedly improve mood, outlook, and stress-handling ability

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7. Stay Involved
Boredom creates stress. Keep your days interesting and varied with a little preplanning. Hobbies, friends, and activities can all play a role.

8. Eat Well
Poor Nutrition both alters biochemical profiles, leading to feelings of exhaustion and stress, and also heightens poor body image, reinforcing these negative emotions. A balanced diet can help avoid these negative impacts.

9. Play
Personal recreation is a vital part of stress management. Spend some time each day engaged in activities you find enjoyable and fulfilling. Whether it's spending 20 minutes walking, curling up with a book or magazine, or just people watching at a cafe, personal time will leave your refreshed and feeling positive.

10. Connect
Social connections are fundamental to human experience. Seek out connections with like minded individuals or groups to improve your sense of social connection.

Here is another set of tips I found especially for brides:

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/wedding-stress-relievers-00000000006424/page2.html

I really need to work on regular exercise and playing. I have a hard time playing when I know I have a lot of things to do. I hope these tips help some poor bride out there who is stressing over how to pay for the wedding, how to tell her mother she doesn't want her to go crazy with wedding planning, or just plain needs a break. Remember to keep it all in perspective. Wedding are all about family and two families coming together to celebrate your new life. IF you are stressing over small details, think "will it matter the day after the wedding?" Probably not. Things will work out. Enjoy this adventure and try not to stress.