Every bride needs to look after themselves inside and out, in the midst of a pandemic it’s even more crucial than ever.
In your minds eye, growing up, you may have pictured wedding planning as a whirlwind of excitement, happiness and only a light dusting of stress. In reality, that is usually the case, only the stress is usually more of a dollop, than a dusting. However, the pandemic has turned all of that upside down. It has pushed anxiety levels for couples across the country up to 11, and the panic being felt is totally understandable, but it is so important to stop, to breath and take care of yourself.
Your wedding will come, Covid-19 will not last forever and as long as we all do our bit, this will be over soon. But during this long period of isolation it can be harder to self-care and deal with things rationally. Many of us are working from home, whilst maybe looking after the kids and spending more time with our partners than we ever imagined! All of this added to our confinement can exasperate any feelings of anxiety you may be feeling towards your wedding planning. So it's important to act now, not dwell. Practice something we were never taught, how to look after our mind, and our body. Here's how to do that as a bride-to-be, partner or couple during lockdown.
Engaged Couple Self-Care During Lockdown
Focus on the Now
We're all a tad stressed right, it's fair to say. Even those celebs in Dubai probably have a few worries! But in order to not let that stress build in the first place, or worse become something of a problem. It's important to focus on now, especially when planning a wedding.
Getting anxious about the overall arc of your wedding will not help you, you can't predict the future. So instead, focus on what you can do, right now. Small jobs that make a difference in the long run. Need to plan your guest list? Don't stare at the TV and just worry about every little big day detail. Grab a large glass of wine, and sort your guest list out. Tick it off your list, and then move onto the next job. Just focus on the job in hand, and the rest will fall into place.
Create a New Routine
If you're now suddenly working from home, everything is different. Breakfast is no longer such a rush, which is nice, but your colleagues have been replaced by a 3-year-old Labrador and a fiancé working in their pyjamas. You used to have a desk, a monitor and motivation. Now you have a breakfast bar, an old laptop and a headache. For many, it's not ideal. But for all of us, routine is important for maintaining mental health.
So if you haven't already, make a dedicated work area for yourself. A corner of the room or the house that is just for you, for work. And at the end of the working day, clear everything away neatly. It's vital that your work like doesn't merge into your personal, otherwise you'll never switch off, and suddenly you're just living at the office. Once your desk is clear, mark the end of your work day with something. Be it a walk to replicate your commute. A run to raise the heart rate. Or a bit of playtime with the kids/dog. Do something that is either good for you or you enjoy every day as part of your routine. It’ll help you compartmentalise your day and keep the relationship between your mind, body and your partner, healthy.
Take Control Back
The government has taken much of our control away from us, leaving many decisions out of our hands. But you still have things you can control, and your wedding planning needs your authority. So let go of the things that you can't affect, and take back control of the things you can have an effect on.
Use this time as an opportunity to communicate with your wedding guests, reassure and update them with your latest information. Maybe start a wedding website and use it to stay in touch with everyone in one go, wherever they are in the world. Think of this time as a gift, not torture and do the wedding planning things that take time. Create some Pinterest boards, nail down your wedding invitations artwork or DIY some stuff! It's hard to be productive, but imagine how pleased you'll be when you can look back and say, 'huh look what I did with that time!'
Help your Immune System
At present, our bodies are in fight or flight mode. They're up, they're down and under constant stress. And what do we do? Order a pizza! Your body needs your help right now, in order to support you.
Its certainly easier not to eat healthily right now, but taking on fresh fruit and vegetables every day is a must. Alongside lots of water during the day. Our tip, put some ginger in hot water and drink that regularly. It's fantastic for your immune system and it will strengthen your digestion, ready for that next pizza...!
Move About a Bit
Again, we know it's hard. Even seasoned gym bunnies are finding it hard to motivate themselves to pick up their dumbbells right now. But even something little will go a long way to helping your mind, and body.
As we said earlier, recreate your commuting activity by going for a walk after work. Nothing strenuous, just pop a podcast on or have a chat with a mate and release some endorphins. If you want something a bit stronger, create a home workout routine for yourself, and stick to it.
Sleep
Need we say more? Get some sleep, it's obviously good for you and lovely when you can get it. Struggling to get some sleep? Start actually doing the things above, and suddenly sleep gets a lot easier.
Make Time for Together-ness
This pandemic may well be one of the biggest tests your relationship has or ever will have had, so well done if you're still going strong! But even when you're locked up together, it can be easy to forget about each other. So make time for 'we'.
This 'we' time can take many forms, but this is a PG rated blog post, so use your imagination to think about one of the best ways you can, re-connect. Apart from indoor aerobics, it is also vital to talk. Not about dinner, nor work or even the pandemic. No, talk about something positive, be it past, present or future and do it away from distractions. If you have a few rooms in your house, set up a pub/bar crawl on a Friday night! Start off in the home office with a relaxed pub playlist and a chat, and before you know it you'll be dancing around the kitchen/club like the teenagers you still are at heart. What ever it is, enjoy it together and rejoice in the fact that you are so glad to be locked up with this person.
At Bellissima Weddings we may not be open physically, but we are certainly open virtually. If you have any fears or worries about your dress or your bridesmaids dresses, send us a message, and we will reply as soon as we can. You're not alone, so don't ever feel as if you are.
Virtual hugs
Laura & the girls xxx