The Wedding is over….now what? While it hasn’t been defined as an actual disorder in the DSM-IV, that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. In fact, many brides (and even some grooms) have experienced depression immediately after the wedding. And as a student of psychology myself (I have a Master’s in the subject), it makes perfect sense. Spending a significant portion of your life planning a special event (like spending a year and a half planning the “perfect” wedding) can lead to a bit of a let-down in the day following your celebratory climax. So here are a few ways to prevent the horrible post-wedding blues.
1.) Keep it in perspective. The most exciting thing about getting engaged shouldn’t be the wedding; it should be the fact that you’re getting married. You’re going to spend the rest of your life with your soulmate and will be able to take on life’s challenges (a new career, a family, owning a home) together. When you view the wedding as just a milestone rather than the end result of your engagement, you’ll be able to see all the positives about life after saying, “I do.”
2.) Talk to your spouse. Even if you both have different feelings about life after marriage (you’re slightly depressed about the wedding has come and gone, and he couldn’t be happier), you are still in this together. Ask him why he’s so happy to have weddings in the past, and you could tune in to his thinking. Maybe now is when you start saving for a house or a family or that vacation to Australia you’ve both wanted to take.
Tips to help avoid Wedding Depression
3.) Enjoy the honeymoon. And speaking of a vacation, make sure you get one! Even if it’s just a weekend away holed up in some hotel one town over, it’s still a chance for the two of you to focus on each other. It doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant it just has to be about the two of you. This will allow you to unwind and let the idea of being married sink in.
4.) Rearrange your time. Planning a wedding takes time, and the closer the day comes, the more efficient you probably become at fitting in your to-do list. So after the wedding, you’re looking at a huge chunk of free time you don’t know what to do with! So fill in that time with something fun! Join a book club, take a class, take up skydiving or relax; you’ve got free time again!
5.) Clean out your stash. Having old bridal magazines around isn’t going to do you any good. So give them to a good friend who has just married or drop them off the next time you’re at the gym. You want to start fresh, not dwell in the past. After all, your amazing wedding photos will be enough to remind you of your perfect day!
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