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As human beings, we are prone to stressing. But it’s definitely not a joke when this stress is starting to affect your health. Suddenly, all of this wedding related stress is giving you health issues you’ve never had before. You have sleepless nights and no appetite (or the other way around). This is just to name a few things.

Anyway, we sat down and thought of ways to help you, the bride. to survive what we have started calling BBO.

16 Ways to Survive Bridal Burn-Out

What exactly is BBO?

BBO stands for Bridal Burn Out. It’s when you start to encounter issues that negatively affects your routine and lifestyle, or worse, your health. All of this is caused by stress due to planning a wedding, or dealing with wedding related issues.

Now, don’t fear, we have just the answers to help you cope with this medically undefined condition. It has not been recognized as an official illness or disease and should never be thought of as incurable or treatable. You can deal with this form of stress like you deal with any other stress.

How do I know if I have BBO?

As with stress in general, the symptoms are very broad. But, if you recently got engaged and had to start planning your wedding, you will have wedding-related stress. Sleepless nights, or extreme tiredness. No appetite or wanting to eat everything you see. It really all depends on how you show stress symptoms. Some people get rashes, others experience extreme sweating. Some people become depressed.

In a nutshell: You are the only one who will notice when the stress hits you.

How do I deal with BBO?

We are not doctors or medical professionals in any way. This advice we give is up to you to try and see if it works for you. We cannot guarantee that it will or won’t work. As with stress symptoms, it depends on the person.

Take Breaks

Sometimes you just need to shut down or shut off for a while. Whether that means to merely switch your phone off, or just to take a nap. Taking a break from all the wedding madness will do you good.

Be Casual

You will notice how you, and the people around you, either start or end their sentences with the word “wedding”. It can stress you out without you even knowing it. Why not go on a coffee date with one of your friends or even your fiancée, and vow not to talk about anything wedding-related?

Pamper Yourself

Even if it’s just by yourself, go treat yourself to a full body massage, or a pedicure or something you enjoy. Try not to think about any wedding stuff or even talk about it to the masseuse or beautician. Just enjoy the moment. If you struggle to clear your mind, take a book or magazine along to read.

Exercise

Whether you are going to the gym for an hour or walking your dog for 10 minutes or around the block, any exercise helps you to de-stress. Even if you’re not fit, you can still get in some exercise by walking somewhere, taking a swim or even go to a public place like a park or shopping center. Exercise releases feel-good hormones, which makes you feel more energized and relieved of stress.

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Stretch

This is similar to exercising in the way that your feel-good hormones are released. But stretching is more convenient, because you don’t have to go far or need a lot of space to do it. Even at the office, you can do a few leg or arm stretches right in your chair!

Listen to Something

Some people prefer a quiet place where they can get into the sounds of nature. Others prefer loud, pumping music in their ears. Depending on which you prefer, listening to something will also make you relax.

Breathe

Breathing exercises, even if it sounds so cliché at this point, really helps you to get rid of stress. Guaranteed! Nowadays, you can get breathing and meditation apps on your phone to help you with this. And a lot of them are free! Bonus!

Meditate

This one is not for everyone, but it has been proven to be quite effective. According to Google, Meditation is to “focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.” Most people shun meditation because of religious purposes, but in the new age, meditation doesn’t have to be linked to any spiritual or religious connotations.

De-clutter

Most people don’t realize this, but the clutter around them can cause so much stress and health issues! As the bride, your goal here is to destress and you should consider decluttering as one of your options. Not only physical things around you, but also on your social media accounts, your e-mail inbox, and anywhere else you can get rid of clutter.

Eat Correctly

We get that you’re weight-conscious because you want to fit into your dress on the wedding day, but skipping meals or binge eating makes matter worse. If you don’t eat, your immune system might become weak and you can get sick. If you binge eat or eat a lot because of munchies, you can likely gain weight. Make sure you have a balanced diet and drink lots of water.

Read

Reading also relaxes the mind and reading something you like will make you feel good. Even if it is an encyclopedia or a novel, any reading will take your mind away from your stressful thoughts about the wedding.

Journal or Bullet Journal

Not everyone benefits from having a journal. Most people don’t commit to keeping one and others are too busy to maintain one. But if you feel that it is something that you can benefit from, try it out. By the way, search “bullet journaling” on Pinterest. It’s relaxing to even just look at those images!

Get to know your Essential Oils

Aromatheraphy is so beneficial to us, because we use scent as one of our main senses when processing feelings, emotions or new information. Each oil from a different plant has different benefits and a different effect. Some of them energizes, revitalize and rejuvenate and others make you feel relaxed or even drowsy.

Going for an aromatherapy massage will do you good in de-stressing. Or simply throwing a few drops into a hot bath or a foot spa will make you feel so good, all of your wedding stress will wash away…

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Comforting drinks

No, we’re not talking about wine here… Comforting drinks usually consists of hot milk as a base, and adding spices and flavours to it. Try “Golden Milk” or “Pumpkin Spice Bedtime Milk” on Pinterest for some incredible recipes that simply looks delicious!

Drink Tea

There’s just something about a nice cup of tea that instantly washes all of your troubles away. And with the wide range of infused teas, there’s a remedy for everything. If you’re struggling to sleep, try chamomile tea. Vanilla and chai teas help with low energy levels. We prefer Earl Grey and Rooibos as our favorites!