When I got married back in the day, things seemed a whole lot simpler. Most weddings were of the “cookie cutter” variety, and as such the planning process was little more than checking off a to-do list. But now things are different, mainly because the traditions that used to be mandatory and/or standard are now completely optional. This has opened the door to an infinite number of possibilities in terms of making your wedding your own, from picking the wedding theme to deciding which wedding traditions you’re going to omit from the ceremony. This vast array of choices has served to complicate the wedding planning process, and if you’re not careful, it could literally take over your life. Here are 4 signs that your wedding planning activities are causing too much stress in your life.
The first indication that it’s time to take a deep breath is if you are decreasingly inclined to be intimate with your partner. In fact, whether it’s planning a wedding or something else, too much stress can drive your libido into oblivion. And generally speaking, your sex drive should not be decreasing before you’re even married! This is a time when your hormones should be in overdrive as you look forward to spending the rest of your life with the love of your life. So if you want nothing to do with your fiancé in the bedroom, you’re probably overly worried about the wedding. If you find yourself in this boat, the best thing to do is to pause the planning process for a few days and go on a romantic interlude with your partner. And when you do, leave the cell phone at home!
Another telltale sign is if you’re doing wedding errands in lieu of eating. I know it sounds dumb, but lack of nutrition and hunger satisfaction can create mood swings and is a sure fire way to feel the burn of increased stress. In other words, if you’re frequently using your lunch hour to call wedding vendors, research themes and venues, or customize your menu options, you are definitely worrying too much. To give yourself a needed break, designate only 1 or 2 lunch hours per week for such activities. Your libido will thank you (see above!).
Another way to tell you’re too stressed over the wedding is if you find yourself second-guessing every other decision you make. Now on some level, this is natural – we all experience new ideas as we go through any process. But when this second-guessing becomes a bit of an obsession, you’ve got a real problem. The important thing to remember is to work hard on every decision, but once it’s been made, move on. Keep pushing forward and do not look back. Chances are the initial decisions you made will be great anyway, so don’t revisit them.
Finally, if you find yourself mired in the things that are going wrong instead of relishing the things that are going right, you’re probably too stressed out. Simply put, when planning the biggest day of your life starts seeming like a monotonous chore, and you find yourself slipping into a depressive state, you’ll need to alter your mindset. For example, try your best to focus on why you’re getting married, not all the work involved in doing so. I’m a firm believer in mind over matter, and although it takes practice, forcing yourself you think positively can pay huge dividends by reducing your overall stress as well as your propensity to worry about the minutia.
For more information on how to reduce your wedding planning stress, check out this great article from About.com’s wedding channel. Good luck!
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