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Planning a wedding is never easy, but wedding planning can be particularly stressful for LGBTQ+ couples. You’re trying to find vendors who support your right to marry your partner, and you might be navigating complex family dynamics regarding relatives who do not fully accept you as you are. RainbowWeddingNetwork can help you tackle all of these challenges! But if you feel like wedding-related stress is starting to impact your health, it’s time to focus on self-care. Here’s how to get more physical activity into your routine, eat a more nutritious diet, and practice mindfulness when you’re feeling stressed.
Make Time for Exercise
When you’re in the midst of wedding planning, you might feel like you have no time for exercise. It’s tough to fit workouts into your schedule when you’re shopping for wedding attire, booking vendors, and gathering addresses for all of your guests. But by making active choices in your daily life, you can move your body without heading to the gym. For example, you can take the stairs instead of using an elevator or take short walks during your lunch breaks.
Eat a Healthy Diet
It’s important to reach for healthy snacks and cook nutritious meals when you’re in the thick of wedding planning. When you’re busy with planning, you might be tempted to simply heat up frozen meals and order takeout, but you’ll feel more energized if you eat healthy, home-cooked meals. If you’re stressed out, Canyon Ranch recommends filling your plate with lean proteins, whole carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Try to avoid refined carbohydrates and incorporate lots of vegetables and leafy greens into your diet.
Practice Mindfulness
Each day, you think about another wedding-planning task you need to complete. You’re constantly focused on a date that is months or even a year away - and you’re planning so intensely for the future that you can barely concentrate on the present. But mindfulness can help you shift your attention back to the here and now. Practicing yoga, meditating, or writing in a journal can all encourage you to be more mindful. You might also want to plan “screen-free” times with your partner when you can put down your devices and just focus on each other.
Go to Bed Earlier
Do you ever catch yourself tossing and turning at night while thinking about your wedding? Maybe you’ve even had dreams about everything going wrong on the big day! If you’re anxious about your wedding, and your worrying is affecting your sleep schedule, it’s time to make some changes to your evening routine. Health recommends ditching caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, reading before bed, and creating a more comfortable bedroom environment.
Work With a Therapist
What if lifestyle changes just aren’t enough to address your wedding stress? Consider looking for an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist who can help you process your fears, implement healthy coping strategies in your daily life, and tune out people with unwanted opinions throughout your wedding planning process. You may want to work with a therapist on your own, or you might be interested in finding a therapist who serves LGTBQ+ couples so that your partner can join you for sessions.
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Wedding planning can be exhausting, especially if you are facing prejudice and discrimination in the industry as an LGBTQ+ couple. But you don’t have to sacrifice your health in order to plan the perfect event. By living a more active lifestyle, getting a little more sleep, and even working with a therapist, you can feel your best throughout the ups and downs of the planning process.
Are you one-half of an LGBTQ+ couple? When you’re ready to walk down the aisle, turn to the RainbowWeddingNetwork! Browse our content today for fresh and inspirational wedding planning tips. BEST WISHES!!
