How To Cope With Wedding Anxiety

How to combat wedding anxiety

As royal wedding hype reaches fever pitch across the globe, nobody will be feeling the strain quite as much as Harry and Meghan. They may be used to appearing on the global stage, but a wedding day can induce a deep-rooted anxiety. TV presenter, counsellor and author Anna Williamson tells us: “Social anxiety is one of the most commonly experienced forms of anxiety – walking into a party, attending a function, making a speech, the feeling of exposure and embarrassment that often comes hand in hand with social anxiety, can affect even the most confident of people. Weddings can throw up all kinds of feelings for many of the wedding party.”

Here are Anna’s top ten tips on avoiding anxiety on the day of a wedding….

1) Take some exercise

Not only will it help you look your best on the day, it will alleviate pent up stress too

2) Get a good night’s rest

Prepare for a restful night with a warm bath, some calming music and a good book

3) Remember to eat

When we’re feeling nervous or anxious our appetite can dwindle. Being hungry will only make you feel more dizzy or faint

4) Choose good foods

Ditch the chocolate and quick fix treats. The energy sugar spikes and subsequent crash will hinder anxious feelings. Choose fresh, unprocessed snacks instead

5) Avoid caffeine

This is anxiety’s nemesis and will only exacerbate feelings of worry

6) Drink plenty of water

Winter skincare tips from Ellipse UK and Belle About Town Keep well hydrated, it will help keep you calm and focused and also stave off an anxious dry mouth

7) Plan ahead

Aoid any sudden anxiety creeping up on you with last minute plans. The more you know in advance, the calmer and more prepared you’ll feel

8) Familiarise yourself with the venue

Make use of a rehearsal or practice session. Go and have a walk around the venue ahead of time and familiarise yourself with the surroundings to feel more settled on the day

9) Breathe

Practice deep breathing to aid relaxation and ease off anxious feelings

10) Smile and enjoy

The best way to ward off anxiety is to trick it. It’s much harder to feel really anxious if you plaster a big smile over your face. Keep your head up, take a deep breath and just go for it. It will be over before you know it so try and just enjoy the moment

Emily Cleary

After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!

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