Top 5 Tips for the Engaged Bride:

1. Tiny changes create remarkable results! Start small with any new habit you are working to form leading up to the BIG DAY. Many brides use the opportunity of their wedding to try to establish new habits like taking on an exercise routine or trying to develop a healthy eating habit. We definitely acknowledge the truth that every bride wants to feel her best, so if you want to ensure your habits stick leading up to walking down the aisle, you must be strategic in your approach.

• Goldilocks Rule - humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy, but just right. When something is too hard, we lose motivation, and quit. When something is too easy, we get bored, and quit. 

2. Make Self Care a priority! Unfortunately for brides, decisions regarding the big day can increase stress levels. The definition of Self Care is the practice of safeguarding one’s happiness. There are so many joyous moments during wedding planning, so putting a Self Care practice into place just makes sure you feel that joy instead of letting stress overwhelm you!

• A Self Care practice can be so many things, and what works for you may not work for other brides. A few examples include journaling, morning routine, meditation,
  devotionals, going for a run, yoga, listening to music, date night with fiancé, walking in
  nature, taking a nap, getting a massage/manicure, etc.
• When you are making big decisions, it can be draining! It is important that you spend
  time with yourself to destress and to gain clarity on what your goals are but also to
  recharge after potentially difficult conversations or stressful discussions! If you know
  that you have a budget conversation coming up, schedule in some time just for you on
  that same day or the day after. 
• There may be a time during wedding planning that doesn’t go exactly the way you
  wanted. Maybe a vendor fell through or you have to rework your budget. These things
  happen and are a completely normal part of wedding planning. But you must learn to
  deal with these bumps in the road! If you start putting self care practices into place now,
  you can have a good game plan when these stressful situations come up.
  
  

3. Create a wedding week agenda for yourself. For the week leading up to the wedding,
everything is in motion. Vendors will be calling, you’ll have nail appts and bridal luncheons
scheduled. You don’t need to be worried about what to wear or pack or what time you need to be places. You and your fiancé are the star of the show, so allow yourself to be treated like one! Celebrities have personal assistants that tell them what to wear, what to pack and where to be down to the minute. You may be lucky enough to have a personal assistant, but if you don’t, you can do the legwork ahead of time so that you don’t have to do any critical decision making during the week leading up to your wedding.

4.  Accountability – Everyone deals with holding themselves accountable, but there are certain strategies that can be extremely helpful in sticking to your goals.

1. Strategy of Monitoring
2. Strategy of Scheduling
3. Strategy of Accountability
4. Strategy of Convenience

5. Balance- A healthy combination of self improvement and self care! Think about them as the offense and defense of your personal progress! You need both to really be in the game, but it's important to have a healthy combination of them both! 

To hear more from Stephanie, check out Bloom Life Coaching!