by Johanna Osborne

Oh no. That feeling! That feeling that everything is sitting on your shoulders, weighing you down and putting immense pressure on you. That feeling that you just can’t possibly get it all done. That feeling like you are running under water. We all know it, some of us more intimately than others.

I profess to be a stresser. I can’t pretend otherwise, as that would be dishonest. It’s lucky I married the most laid-back person I have ever met; it makes for quite the ideal balance. Thank Goodness there’s someone in my life that doesn’t consider the things I deem to be earth shattering dramas worth any worry whatsoever. It paid dividends when we were organising our wedding too. That, and hiring a professional wedding planner. You might know her, her name is Paula Bevege.

Over the years I have learnt a few things about stress. It’s not ideal to be wasting so much energy on worry, unless, of course, you channel it in the right direction. If you control it, you can make it work to your advantage. After all, what is stress? It’s the feeling you have too much to do and that you want to get it all done. Lazy people don’t get stressed! It’s usually the hard workers and high achievers that have the good fortune of feeling this way. Stress is a wonderful adrenalin-giver, which then in turn sees you motor though what you need to do, instead of sitting there worrying about it. Now that’s what I call positive stress!

And whilst we sincerely hope the brides-to-be reading this don’t have to stress, just in case you do, we want to encourage you to see it in a positive light. It’s one of those times in your life where it’s normal to feel overwhelmed in terms of planning and organising. So save yourself a few grey hairs and enlist the help of a professional if you can. It will pay off tenfold. And if you do feel worried and uneasy, take a few deep breaths; try to plan a pre-wedding break somewhere nice, even if it’s just for a weekend. Take a yoga or pilates class, go for a refreshing long walk, enjoy a decadent dinner out and pour that nice tall glass of wine. Train yourself to ‘let go’ of worries. Remember, you always have a choice and can decide what you let affect you and what you choose to ignore. Set goals, and even more importantly huge rewards for yourself. Drink lots of water and make sure you sleep enough. Be very, very kind to yourself and you will stay fighting fit. You only get one shot at this, so don’t waste any of that precious, beautiful time leading up to your big day by stressing it all away. Breathe, savour… enjoy.

So girls, let’s take that stress, reign it in, hold it tight and make it work for you – and let it guide you towards the most perfect day ever. You control what you let affect you and how you deal with it – if you channel the energy towards the light at the end of tunnel… you will be surprised how much you will enjoy the ride!

“Stress should be a powerful driving force, not an obstacle.” Bill Phillips

“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” Hans Selye