Back from a Stress-Induced Hiatus

The past few months have been quite trying. I got lost in a haze of stress and appointments, both doctor- and wedding-related. Some days I seriously thought I was going to pass out and find myself in a hospital. I don't handle stress well. Hence, not posting any news. We've had plenty going on, including finalizing many wedding details, purchasing favors and decorations (Oriental Trading and Amazon.com are currently my 2 favorite online shopping locations), attending bridal showers, and tying ribbons. God, there have been so many ribbons.

I think the final straw in the lets-let-stress-take-over-my-life-and-see-how-it-goes tactic was daylight savings time. I hate "springing forward" with a passion! The week after that was jam-packed with wedding appointments and stuff to be done. I was like a ghost that just went to work, ran errands, and came back home to do more errands before vaporizing for a few hours and starting all over again. If I slept, it was never well. It took several coworkers telling me how tired I looked a couple of weeks ago for me to realize I needed to get this under control.

I decided to take it easy. I took a few days worth of to-do lists and hid them out of view. I focused on sleeping and thinking about anything but the wedding. I hung out with friends, got an art show together at our favorite Gainesville pizza place, Satchel's. I finally caught up on sleep and got back into an exercise routine, which has made a world of difference. I also got off of some medications that may have been causing some side effects. I've decided to leave my body alone for a while. Honestly, I think part of my stress was caused by my body rebelling against hormonal medicines. Now all I am doing is chugging water (it is so hard to get the recommended 2 liters a day), exercising, taking probiotics, and an antibiotic prescribed by my dermatologist. I should probably pick up my yoga again, but I'm not going to even pencil it into my schedule because that will just turn it into a stressful item on a to-do list.

I have felt so much better stress-wise in the past week. I have had a lot of fun planning this wedding, but I am glad I have everything 80% done. If I hadn't been working, I would have loved every moment of planning, but it is just impossible to do both without it becoming a weight on your shoulders. Hopefully now I can focus on my health and the final preparations will be fun again!

Next up, I will update you on what we learned about each other in our pre-marriage classes including a revealing personality test all couples should take! Soon to come, a little more info on how to improve your sleep patterns and keep yourself sane. Also on tap, a recipe and photos for Florida Clam Linguine. Planning a wedding doesn't have to be all Lean Cuisines or fast food. Take a moment to make a fancy meal with your fiancé and remember why you're going through all this work in the first place!