While making sure you look your best on your wedding day often sits at the top of the list of priorities, feeling your best is just as important. When it comes to wedding preparations, self-care often takes a backseat. Finding ways to prioritize your mental and physical health can play a key role in stress management and finding balance, which can help you better enjoy the process.
We tapped a few experts who shared some tips for prioritizing self-care for brides and grooms to feel their best ahead of their wedding days.
When it comes to maintaining a healthy complexion in the months leading up to the big day, Natalie Sischy, CEO of holistic skincare and wellness brand Province Apothecary, recommends facial massage routines for stimulating blood flow, relieving tension and reducing stress.
“Ideally, we would recommend starting your facial massage routine at least a couple of months before your big event, like a wedding. However, even a few weeks can make a significant difference,” says Sischy. “The facial massage really helps to stimulate blood flow, which promotes a healthy complexion and that sought-after bridal radiance. It can also enhance lymphatic drainage, which aids in reducing puffiness and achieving a more sculpted appearance.”
Sischy also says that massaging specific pressure points can help to relieve tension, alleviate stress and even improve sleep quality. “The temples, for instance, the jawline and cheekbones, can help contour and define your features. To address puffiness, gently glide your fingers over the under-eye area using outward motions to promote lymphatic drainage.”
“Some of the benefits of practicing yoga on a consistent basis include improved flexibility and strength, reduced stress and the ability to better manage anxiety and depression,” says Swan. “Yoga does this through breathwork, meditation and mindfulness practices, and by promoting relaxation and boosting the release of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters. It has been practiced for centuries and is known for its positive effects on physical health, mental well-being and emotional balance.”
Along with drinking enough water ahead of the big day, Simon Bennett, co-founder of the wellness brand Sense Naturals, recommends eating Ayurvedic plants and spices such as turmeric, ginger and fennel, which use key fasting protocols to cleanse, restore and renew the body.
“Our cellular bodies are made up of 60 to 70 per cent water. Maintaining proper fluid balance is essential for effective oxygen delivery, regulating body temperature and excreting toxins,” says Bennett. “When we are properly hydrated, we have balanced energy levels, improved brain function, fewer headaches, and better digestion, skin and sleep.”
In terms of how long in advance brides and grooms should be eating clean ahead of their wedding days, Bennett says 16 weeks, which is the time frame in which one can lose approximately 7lbs of fat mass and gain 5lbs of lean muscle mass.
Breathing exercises can also go a long way, according to Bennett, which can help alleviate stress and achieve a calm state ahead of the big day.
“Unfortunately, too many of us concentrate on inhalation and never fully exhale leading to over breathing,” says Bennett, adding that this can initiate the body’s stress response and prevent it from being able to adequately use the oxygen it takes in. According to Bennett, this can cause a perceived need to take in more oxygen which leads to inhaling more and a vicious over-breathing cycle.
“Carbon dioxide, the gas we exhale, has an unfair reputation as being just a waste product when it is actually essential for oxygen exchange and the regulation of our nervous system. Without full exhalation that allows carbon dioxide levels to rise in our blood stream, we cannot process all the oxygen we inhale,” says Bennett.
“The truth is that exhales are equally as important as inhales for respiration. When it comes to leveraging your breathing to achieve a calm state, we need to put more emphasis on slowing down and extending the exhale,” he adds.
Along with breathing exercises, Bennett also recommends supercharging the body everyday by viewing sunlight within 30 to 60 minutes of waking up.
“Exposing your eyes to morning sunlight stimulates the release of a hormone called Cortisol. This enhances the immune system, increases metabolism, focus and the ability to move the body,” he says. “No windshields, no sunglasses and inside your home does not count.” Just remember not to stare directly into the sun.
There you have it! Some wonderful advice on how you can look your best on your wedding day. And bonus? These are also great tips for your everyday life!