Guest Blog by Jo Webber @ Pukka Herbs. Looking to ease your wedding day nerves? In this article Jo Webber, Herbal Education Lead at Pukka Herbs, shares her tips for relieving those jitters naturally, so you can enjoy your special day to the fullest.
With one of the most special days of your life on the horizon you’ll no doubt be excited about the celebration ahead. You might also be feeling nervous. This is a common experience for both brides and grooms before the big day so there’s no need to panic. However, you may want to find ways to ease these nerves so you can enjoy every moment of the wedding to the fullest.
The good news is that there are a number of natural methods you can use to relieve your wedding day jitters. Here are five tips for keeping calm and easing those nerves for your big day.
1. Have winding down time the evening before
Many people find that their wedding day jitters really start to kick in the evening before the big day. So if you’re looking to keep the nerves at bay, it’s a good idea to start easing them at this time. Not only will it put you in a positive mindset for the day ahead, but focussing on relaxation will help you get some good quality sleep which will set you up well for the big day.
Enjoy a relaxing evening by reading your favourite book or the newest copy of your go-to magazine and having a pampering session with a foot bath to prepare your feet for all the dancing ahead. You can also relax with a mug of your favourite caffeine-free herbal tea — chamomile is a popular choice for people looking to unwind as this natural ingredient is known for supporting relaxation.
If you’re looking to get the best nights sleep possible, it’s also a good idea to avoid screen time. Blue light from your phone, laptop and television screens can disrupt melatonin production and make it difficult to fall asleep.
2. Keep a wedding feelings journal
From the early stages of planning the wedding right up until the big day, you’ll go through a lot of emotions, from joy, to stress, to excitement. If you haven’t already started, why not write a wedding feelings journal? Even if you haven’t been keeping a journal and it’s already the day of the wedding, writing down everything you’re feeling onto paper can help you ease your nerves.
Jotting down your thoughts and emotions can help you understand exactly how you’re feeling. And once you see your concerns on paper, you may even realise that they’re not as big as they feel in your head, or that they have easy fixes. You’ll also have something to look back on once the wedding is over to remember all the good times you had throughout the whole process.
If you aren’t sure what to write down when you see the blank piece of paper staring back at you, you can use prompts such as “what is my dominating emotion right now” and “how have I handled situations like this in the past”.
3. Practice calming breathing exercises
One of the most common physical responses to stress is shallow breathing and a shortness of breath. When we are stressed, we often breathe from our chest which is why the breaths we take can feel short and shallow. Fortunately, by performing some simple breathing exercise we can control this response which can make ourselves feel calmer.
To combat this short breathing sit up in an upright position and draw long, deep breaths in from your nose toward the stomach. Then slowly let this breath out through your mouth. You can do this for around five minutes, or longer if you feel like you need it.
There are a few different variations of calming breathing exercises to try, such as the 5-5-5 technique which involves breathing in deeply through the nose for five seconds, holding the breath for five seconds and releasing for five seconds. You can also practice the 4-7-8 method which is similar to the 5-5-5 but with different timings: you breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven and release for eight.
4. Take calming supplements
If you’re looking to stay as relaxed as possible on the big day, you may benefit from taking calming supplements to ease your nerves. There are plenty of supplements with natural ingredients to choose from which can help you ease your jitters. Keep an eye out for ashwagandha in the ingredient list as this ancient herb is known to help balance our stress hormones and help us feel more resilient, making it the perfect ingredient to help us unwind.
Prefer to take your herbs as a tea instead? There are a number of calming natural ingredients to help you relax which can be found in herbal teas as well, like lavender and chamomile. You can sip on one of these the morning of the wedding to gently ease yourself into the big day.
5. Turn to your loved ones for support
In the lead up to the big day, brides and grooms are often surrounded by their nearest and dearest who are on hand to offer support when setting up the event. As well as having their help for the practical matters at hand, you can also turn to them for emotional support. Have a chat with a loved one about any nerves you might be experiencing in the lead up to the wedding, or on the day itself.
There are plenty of ways they can help you calm down once they understand how you’re feeling. They may reassure you that your feelings are valid, help you see all the great things to come on the day ahead, or even share experiences of their own wedding day nerves to make you understand that you’re not alone. Even something as simple as distracting you and making you laugh in only a way a loved one can may be enough to ease those wedding jitters and get you even more excited for tying the knot with your partner.
Wedding day jitters are a completely normal part of the process, but this doesn’t mean you can’t do something about them. Try using the tips above to relax on your big day so you can enjoy it as much as you deserve to.
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