As much as you look forward to walking down the aisle and tying the knot with the love of your life, the experience can be pretty frightening. To some people, the long walk is exciting. However, the combination of joy, anxiety, and relief can be overwhelming to others.
If you belong to the latter group, you may be relieved to know that things don’t always have to be like this. You can reduce your nervousness and achieve a calmer, more confident walk down the aisle by following the following tips:
Acknowledge and Accept Your Feelings
As much as you are probably frustrated with yourself, being too critical of your feelings will worsen things. So, before anything else, you need to accept and validate your anxiety and nervousness.
Most people will experience some nervousness before and during their wedding ceremony. So, understand that your feelings and fears are entirely normal and understandable. On the contrary, it would be weird if you didn’t feel a certain degree of anxiety on your big day.
To better hold your nerves, you need to rationalize them. For a start, try to identify the reasons for your nervousness and anxiety. For example, is it because of the large audience? Or because you are very excited to get married and at the same time unsure about what the future holds? When you know where your anxiety stems from, you will be better positioned to deal with it.
Have a Bit of Me-Time Before The Ceremony
Your wedding day will likely be overly hectic, with lots of people to talk to and take photos with, stuff to get done, and venues to travel to. Consequently, you will have to begin your day much earlier than you usually would, which means you will be mentally and physically rattled.
Therefore, it is crucial to set aside a few minutes to yourself before walking down the aisle. Then, lock yourself in a calm, quiet room and try to collect yourself within those moments.
If you can, try meditation or zoning out. Try drinking a glass or two of cold water to re-hydrate and refresh your body if you can’t. You can also focus your thoughts on your partner’s standout qualities – those that made you want to marry them.
The idea here is not to eliminate your anxiety and wedding-related stress. You can’t possibly do that. Instead, the idea is to focus your mind on the right things and let the excitement engulf the nervousness.
Have a Plan
In most cases, the anxiety often arises from agnostophobia. This is especially so if you have never had a wedding before and don’t know what to expect.
Having a detailed plan in mind is what you need to calm your nerves. It doesn’t even have to be anything fancy. For instance, you may decide to focus on looking straight ahead and not at the audience.
You may also consider asking your spouse-to-be to stand in a specific spot so you can make eye contact with them as you take the walk. Just figure out anything that makes you feel like you’re in control of the moment.
Start Your Day As You Mean to Go On
Naturally, your anxiety will be at its peak on the morning of the wedding. But, depending on the temperament, you may easily be able to handle the feeling by taking a few deep breaths or sharing a hug with your Maid of Honor.
It is also possible that you will be so nervous that you decide to have a drink or take an anti-anxiety pill.
For your own sake and those of your spouse and guests, fight the temptation to do any of those things as hard as you can.
Alcohol, starving yourself, or taking random medications will only worsen your anxiety and possibly alter your consciousness. Instead, aspire to start your morning in a healthier, calmer way.
Start with a healthy breakfast, do a low-intensity exercise like yoga, meditate, and drink lots of water. This will leave you feeling fresher and more energetic and give you a higher sense of clarity and confidence.
Just Breathe
As the saying goes, the simplest solution is always the best one. In this case, you may find out that breathing – one of our most basic and primal responses – is all you need to calm your jitters.
In essence, you will subconsciously forget to exhale when anxious or shocked, which can considerably increase your anxiety and stress levels, although instinctual. So, before starting the long walk, take a few seconds to breathe in and out deeply. Close your eyes and do the inhale-exhale combination 3-5 times for good measure.
Feel free to take more breaths until you feel better and more relaxed. It’s your moment. The rest can wait.
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