How I’m De-Stressing Before the Wedding

Wedding stress and anxiety are real. I heard from countless friends and former brides the month before your wedding is a blur – time is flying and the to do list is never ending, plus the added pressure of being, you know, a bride. I told myself I wouldn’t get stressed and that at a certain point I would have to let things just be… but truthfully this is SO much easier said than done.

I’d like to think I kept it mostly together, but I did have a few mini meltdowns and a full blown panic attack that came seemingly out of nowhere. Determined not to let pre wedding jitters get the best of me, I went into full on “relaxation” mode the past few weeks. Now we’re officially 8 days out from the wedding (!!) and I’m feeling surprisingly… mellow? Chill? Not stressed? Who is she?

How I’m De-Stressing Before the Wedding

Everyone talks about “self care,” I think self care looks different for everyone. It took a lot of trial and error to really define what “self care” looks like to me (as much as I thought it was taking midday breaks to buy $7 iced coffees, the truth is it’s often much simpler than that). As someone who is perpetually stressed and anxious, these are the practices I’ve implemented the past month that have gotten me to a place of (relative) calm and chill before the wedding.

+ Journaling

I saw on TikTok someone mention starting a journal in the weeks/months leading up to her wedding. I loved the idea and started a fresh journal to write about my wedding planning experience and feelings – it’s tough to commit to every day, but on the days I remember I make a solid effort to write 3 pages of free flow, stream of consciousness thoughts. I’m happy to have this time (somewhat) documented as I’m sure it will be interesting to look back on my mental state during this time.

+ Exercise

I don’t know who I would be without a consistent exercise routine!! Will share my entire pre wedding routine/regimen separately, but carving aside an hour for myself every day made a huge difference in my mental health. Losing weight was never the goal of all the pre wedding working out, it was honestly one of the only practices that calmed me (hello, endorphins!) and gave me a much needed energy and mental boost during extra tough times. My favorite thing to do would be to go on extra long walks, but life gets in the way of that sometimes. I really made a point to prioritize daily movement and it went a long way in keeping me grounded.

+ CBD

ok I never understood CBD until I tried Molly J. Ask AJ, I’m a different person when I take one of these gummies. I learned a few things about CBD after taking these regularly. There’s a difference in quality among most CBD lines, and the amount (dose) you take is V IMPORTANT!! These are 25mg, come in the yummiest flavors, and are like unwrapping a little present for yourself at the end of the day. I cut out drinking so it’s become my new evening ritual and I’m obsessed with these (get 10% off your order using AMY10).

+ Breathwork

I’ll be honest, I have failed at meditating more times than I’d like to admit. It’s a really wonderful practice I’d like to get better at, but for whatever reason it keeps slipping from my routine. I recently connected with a wonderful breathwork coach and did the most transformative session 2 weeks before my wedding. More to come and I’m excited to share more as we continue our breathwork journey, but it really opened my eyes to the power of our breath and mind. This was super game changing to get me in the right “headspace” before the wedding and the effects have been long lasting.