So finally, he proposed.
It was at a beach when the sun was setting, the cooling breeze gently graced passed you and him. Love was in the air and it was no cliche. And you said… “Yes, I will!”
Without a doubt, it had to be announced on social media and within a split second, a rush of euphoria kicked in when wishes from friends and family started flooding into your inbox.
Soon enough, wedding planning was on its way. With deadlines and expectations to meet, this is when an insurmountable stress can pile on.
Related: Yingmin has lost 8kg for her best day – Wedding
As a Women Physique Transformation Specialist, I’ve worked with many brides-to-be through personal training and ongoing lifestyle care.
I realised the many hurdles they faced were universal. Mentally, physically and emotionally, having to come out on top is never an easy task even for the most resilient mind.
Having gone through the process myself and now a mum of a 3 months old, I have put together the 5 Essential Tips that brides-to-be can adopt to feel and look your best on the big day.
1. Be present in the moment
Planning a wedding is no easy task.
Crucial logistical decisions like attending fittings, pre-wedding shoots and rehearsals and trying to handpick personalised items to make the day special are time consuming and nerve-wracking. So much doing that ‘being’ gets forgotten.
The ability to be in the moment means not dwelling on the past (frustrations and disappointments) and letting go of thoughts of the future (fear and anxiety).
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t worry that something could go wrong, but we should have the space to check in with ourselves, assess how we feel physically and mentally and spend quality time with your partner.
2. Embrace stress
Working all day and wedding planning during your free time can throw you off guard mentally and physically. Everyone defines stress differently and has their own tolerance levels.
We need to learn how to embrace stress because once we accept this, calmness can prevail. The more we resist stress, the more it persists.
How can we do this?
It comes down to the perception we have towards the stressor.
Making it a negative one will result in becoming disempowered, while having a positive response to stress can drive you to overcome challenges with grit and faith.
Additionally, joining a group fitness class or getting a personal trainer can be helpful so that you don’t need to stress about what to do at the gym!
Oh! One more thing, even better if your personal trainer is ready for you to vent out any frustrations or stress you might have! 😉
3. Stay fit
As the saying goes, your body achieves what your mind believes. What about that your mind achieves according to how your body moves? Research has shown that the way we move shifts the way we feel and think.
A Harvard University study concluded that by striking a ‘Wonder Woman’ power pose — chest upright and hands on the side of your waist — stress hormones reduced and testosterone (vitality) increased.
Working out requires strong postures to lift weights, jump and run; therefore we will subconsciously end up with power poses which are necessary to perform most workout movements.
Getting fit is guaranteed to induce happy hormones like endorphins and will leave you feeling empowered and ready to deal with anything!
4. Sleeping beauty
We all wish there were more hours in the day so we can get everything done and sleep adequately.
Sleep should never be compromised as a restful night is necessary so you can deal with every task at hand the next day.
Poor sleep results in a sluggish metabolism, skin issues (argghh you don’t want that!), loss of motivation and even weight problems.
If you struggle to fall asleep when too much is running through your head, you can either explore slow breath work, meditation, writing a gratitude journal or even reading a book (not on device)
Focus on getting enough sleep so that you are show ready for anything! Yeap anything! Like looking your best for your wedding shoot and dancing the night away at your wedding!
5. Mindful eating
Fun fact: I never ask my personal training clients to diet!
Often enough, when a “diet” is being imposed onto someone, it can be very invasive and disruptive. Rather, I would focus on helping my clients to reform their relationships with food.
Asking great questions to ourselves to really dig deep into why we indulge in certain food (which doesn’t help with fitting into the gown), then working on the root cause of it (can be stress, anger, tiredness) is far more powerful than saying “NO” outright while “suffering” inside.
For example, if stress was causing you to binge on foods that are high in fats and sugar (quite often that’s the case), then I would normally get my clients to go through a stress releasing workout, a 10 minute breathwork session or journaling way before the next meal is fast approaching.
That way, when choosing what to eat with a clear mind and not under the influence of stress can mean better food choices with ease!
Conclusion
The best time to prepare for your big day is when you still have months to go, but the next best time would be now.
Don’t look at this pursuit of a better physical and mental well being as a short term purpose. Instead, sustaining it far and beyond the big day would be even more empowering to allow you to live the life of vitality, strength and joy!
