• Arguing with your fiancé more than normal? • Finding it increasingly difficult to make decisions? • Finding it increasingly difficult to focus on a task? • Minor things irritating you more? • Frequently feeling lethargic? • Having trouble sleeping? • Suffering from headaches?
If the answer is yes to more than 3 of these questions, then chances are you’re suffering from stress.
Most of us have a broad sense of what stress is and how it can positively or negatively affect our lives; however, many of us choose to ignore the build up, until something significant occurs.
In Psychology marriage is considered to be a significant life change. Research by Holmes and Rahe (1967) lead to the development of the ‘Social readjustment rating scale’. The Scale ranked and weighted life events with regard to the amount of stress a person experiences at a given period of time.
Out of 43 life events ‘marriage’ was ranked in the top 20%, higher than ‘pregnancy’, ‘Fired from work’ and even ‘death of a close friend’.
So there it is! Empirical evidence shows us how it is extremely common to be stressed out of our minds when it comes to getting married.
If you don’t want to go down the route of a nervous breakdown, here are a few handy suggestions:
1. Make a date
Planning a wedding can place considerable strain on your relationship. As the wedding date grows nearer more and more emphasis tends to be placed on the event, drawing your attentions away from each other. It is very easy to lose touch with your relationship and yourselves, so why not just take time out.
Make one night of the week ‘Date night’! There should be no talk of the wedding plans on this night. The word ‘wedding’ and any wedding related topics should be strictly forbidden.
Having this time together should not only help relieve personal stress, but allow you to stay connected as a couple and keep things in perspective.
2. Holistic Therapies
Massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, Reiki healing, the list goes on. There are so many alternative therapies it’s hard to pick one, but if one of them works for you-do it! A massage is often more affordable than a night out and should leave you feeling rejuvenated as opposed to hung over.
Even if it’s only possible once a month, you’ll feel the benefits, helping you manage physical as well as mental stress.
3. Take a class
Dance classes are usually great fun and a good form of exercise, plus you’ll meet lots of people of all ages. From Salsa to Jive, there are classes out there to suit everyone, however, if shaking your behind once a week doesn’t appeal you can always try something different.
You could take a course in languages. Many colleges and universities run these short courses for various languages.
Providing you don’t take any of these things too seriously they should provide you with fresh stimuli, diverting your attentions on a regular basis and hopefully reducing wedding stress.
4. Regular Exercise
It is a proven fact that one of the best ways to reduce stress is to exercise. Aerobic exercise such as running, walking and swimming can help to control stress levels. Research also shows that people who exercise regularly will suffer less from anxiety and depression than comparable people who are not aerobically fit.
Experts recommend that we exercise 3-4 times a week for at least 20 minutes per session. Try it out! You may soon start feeling the difference in yourself.
Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. You can integrate it into your normal daily routine, i.e. walk to the shop to buy milk, and walk to work twice a week. This way you are more likely to commit to exercise.
If not managed properly stress can get out of hand and lead to serious problems. The planning of your wedding should be an enjoyable part of the whole experience, so don’t let stress manage you.
Manage stress and enjoy the ride!
Until Next Time!
Jasmine
Luca Salamone Website: http://www.vocalshow.co.uk Biography: Luca is a professional trained vocalist performing for a variety of events including wedding receptions. UK Wedding Singer. http://funweddings.blogspot.com, www.fun.createswebsites.com, http://windsor.weddingwindow.com
