Tuesday Tip: Relieving the Stress - Part II

In part one we took a serious look at some common reasons we stress during the wedding planning process.  This week, we lighten the discussion with a few great stress relievers.  Below are 5 ways to bust up stress and relax. Consider some or even all of these if you're looking for a way to escape wedding planning even if only for a day or two.

Meditation and Relaxation
"Peace has to be created in order to be maintained" is what I believe and live by.  Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace.  Considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine, meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing you stress.

Random Acts of Kindness
"Give Without Remembering - Receive Without Forgetting".  People who are kind are generally happier!  By helping others, you are likely to take the attention off of yourself and the stress of your world.  In addition, helping others can enhance feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience and optimism.

Enjoy a Spa Day
"Self Care is the Best Care".  If you're aren't good to yourself, how do you expect to be good to others?  When the cares of the world, or in this instance wedding planning, get to you - take time to be selfish!  A spa day can be as simple as a mani/pedi or as extensive as massages, facials, hot yoga and/or a drive through the country.  Whatever you decide be sure you're able to clear your mind and have peaceful thoughts. 

Cut out stimulants such as coffee, soda, etc
"Strong hope is a much greater stimulant of life than any realized joy could be".  As an advocate for fasting, this is the perfect way to clean your body and your mind.  Commit to a fast even if it's only for three days, you'll have clearer thoughts and your body will thank you :)

Journal
"There are certain things that make me relax, like writing in my journal. That's the only time that I'm relaxing.  It's the only time I really get to examine myself".  I can imagine that during the planning of your wedding you've been bombarded with thoughts.  Some worth sharing with others and some that are just for you.  Keep a journal near your nightstand or in your purse so that when random thoughts enter your mind you have a place to write them down. 

It's YOUR wedding - find and create a peaceful space then maintain it!

"Love and Laughter"
Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Tuesday Tip: Relieving the Stress - Part I

We all know that planning a wedding or event of any size can be stressful.  As a matter of fact, getting married comes in the top 5 of most stressful life events.  How and why is planning a wedding so stressful?  Everyone is different so your personality will determine just how stressful it will be for you.

Although you can't completely eliminate stress; we are going to discuss ways to minimize it.  Before we get into that, lets talk about some common causes of wedding planning stress.

• What I've noticed over the years is that trying to keep up with personal and social expectations can cause a great amount of anxiety. Trying to combine your ideas of what you consider a perfect wedding while also trying to "follow the rules" AND attempting to keep up with family members, friends and everyone else happy is certainly a stressful task.

• The search for perfection is another cause of wedding planning stress. Know that ALL couples want their wedding to match their view of a perfect event. Though this seems like a minor cause of stress, many couples take their quest for perfection too far. 

• Control is another big issue and one that can't always be avoided. Whether it's because of monetary concerns or because of "keeping the peace", control of the planning process is often a responsibility of someone other than the couple.  While this is often unavoidable, there are ways to minimize the impact of a shift of control. Angry confrontation is not the answer and will only cause further problems. 

Always remember that some things will be more important to you than others. You can certainly compromise on other issues in order to retain those items that are most important to you. This suggestion will also help you once the wedding is over and the marriage begins.

A wedding takes a long time to plan and having a variety of emotions is  normal during the planning process.  Be sure to take time out for yourself and your relationship.

"Love and Laughter"
Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Relax, Relate, Release...

Planning an event of any kind can be a stressful time...but a WEDDING? Budgets, Flowers, the dress, the caterer, the (ughhhh) GUEST list…. If we can manage to tear ourselves away from the 8th revision of the seating chart for just a moment, we realize that engagement is one of the most significant psychological transitions in our lives, packed with an assortment of tangled emotions and conflicting feelings. Inside the newly engaged woman often lie fear, anxiety, sadness and loss. It is these important internal details, so largely ignored by conventional wedding guides, that an engaged woman must face and confront if she ever hopes to arrive at the altar fully prepared to enter into a healthy marriage.

As one chapter closes, another begins. A chapter of commitment and togetherness. This new stage brings forth feelings of joy and excitement, but fear and uncertainty are also involved.  There is no other time in your life when you are truly giving up one identity for another. The transition is more complex than simply taking a new last name, a literal change of identity and a decision that brings with it its own set of questions and anxieties.

In reality, these thoughts could not be more normal. In every other major life transition, simultaneous feelings of loss and gain are not only expected, but encouraged.

My motto at Simply Perfect Peace Events is that "Peace has to be created in order to be maintained".  If you're wondering how to gather that peace and DE-stress, Cheryl Harris-Owner/Stress-Less Expert of Profound Touch Mobile Spa offers excellent tips on living a Stress-Less life.

• Meditate: Clear your mind of your to-do list. Take at least 10 minutes in the a.m. and 10 minutes in the p.m. Find a quite space. Let your body lay really heavy on the floor; release any tightness from head to toe and just BE 
• De-Clutter:  Create new space in your mind. Allow room to receive new and fresh ideas.
• Organize: The Big O! The night before (before meditation), Write down the things that need to be accomplished. Then prioritize your list. This can prevent wandering aimlessly without a plan for your day

To read more of Cheryl's tips, check out her blog at http://profoundtouch.blogspot.com/.  What are you doing on May 12th? Join PTMS for Spa Networking Event.  Great networking, great food & great spa services.

 ~Peaceful Planning
Getting Married and need Simply Perfect PEACEFUL assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. Sharon Patrice, Owner & Lead Consultant