Wedding stress, destress
Have you been struggling with planning a wedding or any big planning venture lately? I just planned my own wedding for 100 people and realized how stressful it can be. While doing this I was also holding a job and taking care of business as usual at home with my family. There were times when I felt overwhelmed and struggled throughout the process. I felt like I did not know which end was up sometimes, and I know other brides have felt this way too. I am here to tell you that this and other life transitions do not have to be as stressful as we and society make them.
,,There are so many different aspects to the wedding process and with a budget that did not include money for a wedding planner, I was on my own. I tried to stay optimistic and organized as best as I could, I even went out and bought a white board to write down a list of things needing to get done and the timeline for which to focus on first. This helped me in the beginning, but I found myself losing motivation at times when the stress of working 2 jobs, taking care of the household chores, staying connected with people I care about, and wedding planning hit me all at once. I can only describe it as feeling frozen and paralyzed in moments. I needed to allow myself down time to just sit and decompress, but when would I have time for that?! It was not until I started realizing it was affecting my work ethic and work relationships that I realized I MUST make time for myself. I made some life decisions to reduce my load so that I had more time to be still and put my attention on things that I cared about.
,,What did taking care of myself look like? After a few months of struggling, I met with my therapist sometimes twice a week. I formed a positive support network around me and leaned on it when I needed them, and finally I gave myself the much needed and well deserved time for
,,SELF CARE! Self-care is just how it sounds-spend the time to take care of yourself and your needs. I needed a day or two to myself where I could do the things I needed to do to make myself feel whole. I know in today’s busy world, the hustle and bustle of everyday life is real, but in that moment I recognized more than ever how much I have been ignoring my own needs. Once I came to that awareness, I felt as though a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could breathe again. I began doing meditations, dancing more often, and I created a healthy eating plan. I noticed a major difference in my relationships not only with my spouse, family, friends, and work affiliates, but also with MYSELF! Do you have something you have been pushing to the backburner because of daily life stress, or any other excuse you may be thinking of? Is it time to get that old paint set out of the closet or dust off those bowling shoes? Maybe it’s simply spending an extra hour at the end of the night in a bubble bath with soothing and relaxing essential oils instead of watching the 19th episode of Dancing with the Stars. Don’t let the hustle and bustle bring you to forget to nurture and listen to your feelings because they are your guidepost to happiness and joy! If you don’t listen inside and nurture yourself, you will not be present at the most important day that you are planning for. You will have missed the most important detail of the event, feeling the love and commitment you are making with the person that you are marrying.
,,Weddings are one of the top 10 stressful events people can go through in their life, as well as death of a spouse/child (or loved one), divorce, marital separation, imprisonment, personal injury or illness, dismissal from work, and retirement. Are you facing any of these stressful life transitions and need extra support to process the stress, and find time to take care of yourself? , There are so many remedies to help you feel more centered and calmer, including but not limited to, meditations, mindfulness, and mind-body connectedness. If you are ready to explore this idea of taking better care of yourself emotionally, physically, and spiritually, please contact us to discuss more about how holistic practices could help you to manage these stressful times of life. We look forward to supporting you on your journey of self-exploration, stress management, and true wholeness.
,,To learn more about counseling services:
,,https://www.chicagoholisticcounseling.com/christina
,,A little bit about Christina:
,, Christina is a Therapist, trained in Brief Strategic Family Therapy, who believes in the true functionality as well as complete dysfunctionality that lies within the family system. Christina believes that if a single individual within a family is having trouble managing emotions or communicating effectively, then the family unit must be explored to better understand the origin of the ineffective and maladaptive behavior pattern. Our patterns are learned, but we can learn to break the unhealthy and dysfunctional ones. Christina prides herself on helping others and being a sounding board to others in their time of need. She encourages active and effective expression and communication in all relationships and stresses it within her own. Christina weaves the traditional talk therapy techniques with the holistic methods of meditation and mindfulness, along with a touch of self-expression in the art studio- with sand tray or expressive therapy. Her mantra is: “I am illuminating. This spark within you is radiating happiness from the inside out. You are glowing with positivity. Your energy is helping others spark their inner light, too. Thank you for letting your beautiful light change the world.”