Planning a wedding is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. This bridal’ self-care guide covers five stress-busting strategies to help brides-to-be stay calm, refreshed and ready for the big day. And grooms? Feel free to jump in—relaxation looks good on everyone!
Meditate for a few minutes
“Having a meditation practice – even if it’s just a few minutes a day or week – to check in with yourself can help you stay connected to the why behind all that you are doing,” says Peloton instructor Anna Greenberg. Greenberg practiced meditation when she was planning her own wedding. “My practice helped me to let go of unnecessary stressors and drop into the joy, gratitude and love of the experience,” she says.
Remember that meditation is not about erasing thoughts and feelings, but rather more about noticing them and how we respond to them so that they don’t hold so much power over us, adds Greenberg, who teaches the practice along with yoga and Pilates on the Peloton platform. As part of your bridal’ self-care, she recommends taking a guided class or, if sitting still sounds daunting, starting with walking meditation as a way to ease into the practice.
Practice cold plunging
“Both cold plunging and contrast therapy help you learn to master your nervous system so that you’re taking control of your stress rather than stress taking control of you,” says Amanda Laine, co-founder of Othership, a sauna and ice bath experience that has locations in Toronto and New York.
By exposing yourself to the extreme stressors of hot and cold temperatures, and being able to sit through them and use your breath (“your number one tool to calming yourself down,” says Laine), you can flip your state out of one of panic, she says.
Proponents of cold plunging tout numerous physical benefits, from stimulating movement in the body’s lymphatic system and boosting the immune system to triggering a release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, cortisol and norepinephrine.
Laine suggests practicing a 30-second cold plunge in an ice bath that’s between zero and three degrees Celsius about once a week, up until the day before your wedding. “Research has shown the health benefits kick in after 30 seconds,” she says, while staying immersed for another 90 seconds adds to mental health benefits like resilience and stress relief. It can be a powerful bridal’ self-care routine.
Get regular manicures
A research study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology in 2023 found that nail care, both done at home or at a salon, can elevate positive emotions and relaxation for women. Leeanne Colley, founder of Tips Nail Bar in Toronto, has witnessed the mental health aspects when clients get their nails done at her salon.
“We get to know what’s happening in our clients’ lives. We can tell when they’re not having a good day,” says Colley. And there’s the added mood boost clients enjoy by simply having great nails. “We are all trying to find ways to take care of ourselves. And when you look down at your perfect nails, you know immediately that things aren’t so bad – it lightens your mood,” she says.
The added beauty and bridal’ self-care benefit of regular manicures is improving the health of your nails while also promoting growth. Colley’s top at-home wedding-prep, nail-care tips? Apply cuticle oil at bedtime to both hydrate your cuticles and boost the flexibility of your nails, making them less prone to breakage. Also, she recommends using a fine-grit buffer or file to smooth any dryness around your cuticle area.
Release tension with lymphatic facial
For healthy, glowing skin, consider a treatment that’ll give you tension-free facial muscles. “Without tension, this allows for full circulation to bring oxygen and nutrients to the muscles for glowing skin,” says Sous La founder Amanda Jeppesen.
Jeppesen created Sous La’s signature, a celeb-favourite lymphatic facial through studying sculptural face lifting while also incorporating Ancient Chinese Medicine practices and modern tools and techniques.
During her 60-minute RRR Face treatment, expect opening stretches, facial reflexology, deep-tissue massage, buccal massage (which the practitioner performs intra-orally meaning they reach inside your mouth to work on the masseter muscle) and a microcurrent treatment to stimulate collagen and elastin production.
The combination of these techniques works as a natural facelift, improves circulation, reduces inflammation, lifts facial muscles (which minimizes marionette lines and nasolabial folds) and adds definition to the jawline. The treatment also raises your parasympathetic state – key for stressed-out brides – and, says Jeppesen, best of all, there’s zero downtime.
Follow a healthy-gut diet
While it’s understandable for brides to want to look and feel their best on their wedding day, a restrictive diet will only contribute to additional stress, says Elisa Kosonen, a Vancouver-based registered holistic nutritionist and certified health coach. Your best M.O.? “Performance nutrition – by nourishing your body with an adequate amount of carbohydrates, fats and protein – can help you avoid putting your body systems on high alert,” she says.
Kosonen also underscores the importance of supporting digestion and gut health. “Stress pulls blood flow and energy away from these systems, suppressing stomach acid production, for example,” she says. How to tend to a healthy gut? “As part of your bridal’ self-care regime, focus on mindful eating, chewing thoroughly, getting some bitter foods and citrus into the mix, ensuring you have adequate fibre in your diet, and adding fermented, enzyme-rich foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt. And opt for sourdough bread,” says Kosonen.
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