If you’re engaged and are kinda freaking out about getting married, you are not alone. Most people think this should be the ‘happiest time in your life’ but a lot of people, especially women, feel more dread than excitement. Not only is the stress of planning a wedding enough, but you’re also going through a HUGE life transition.
Cue the engagement anxiety.
What is Wedding & Engagement Anxiety?
Engagement anxiety is not something a lot of people talk about. There is a stigma where if you have the slightest doubt about getting married, you should run for the hills. But the thing is…for a lot of women that’s just not the case.
Yes you love your partner. You may have even had the perfect love story all your friends are jealous of. He proposed, but from that moment on you’ve been questioning if he is ‘the one’, if this is the ‘right’ decision, and why his bushy eyebrows never bothered you quite like now.
You may be tempted to call the whole thing off. Worse, you tell a friend and they tell you that if you have any doubts, to get out now. This leaves you feeling more anxious than ever.
Girl, you are NOT alone.
Just because you are feeling anxious, it does not mean that your relationship is not going to work out.
Engagement anxiety is treatable and…
This is more normal than you’d think…
The truth is…
I was an anxious bride.
On the outside everything looked perfect, but on the inside I was freaking out.
Questions ran through my head like:
What if I’m making a mistake?
What happens if it doesn’t work out?
Do I love him? Do I know what love is?
Is he the ‘one?’
Is this the ‘right’ decision?
The thing is, when I started to work with a therapist and dig down deep, LITERALLY NONE of my anxieties had to do with my fiance. They all had to do with…well, me. And that meant I had some work to do.
Relationship Anxiety & Engagement Anxiety go Hand in Hand
Relationship Anxiety is tricky to define, but basically “refers to those feelings of worry, insecurity, and doubt that can pop up in a relationship, even if everything is going relatively well.” (Healthline.com)
It usually has nothing to do with your actual relationship with your partner, but rather your relationship with yourself. Whoa, I know.
Getting married can bring up a fear of ‘growing up’ or ‘being an adult’. If you have trouble making decisions, this could trigger your lack of self trust. Even if you are living with your partner, the fear of what marriage will change about your relationship can create anxiety too.
There is Help…
The good thing is…you can get past Engagement Anxiety. I am living proof. After almost calling off my wedding, I worked through my anxiety and now am happily married for over 4 years.
Now I help others conquer their fear of getting married with resources and coaching.
Not sure where to start? Take the free quiz to see if you could have engagement anxiety.
Then, jump into my digital Marriage Preparation Journal for the Anxious Bride Digital Guidebook. Here, I have laid out exactly the methods I used to get through my wedding & engagement anxiety and now I am sharing it to help others find peace and happiness in their relationships too.
It has 28 pages of information on the causes of engagement anxiety and ways to help along with guided exercises.
It’s so important to do the work to heal from within and this journal will give you the start to really tap into your anxiety so that you can beat it.
I know you can do it! Beating engagement anxiety is totally possible, I’m living proof!
I’ve got you… trust yourself know we can get through this together. It’s going to be okay!
xo,
#weddinganxiety #relationshipanxiety #nashvillephotographer #nashvilleweddingphotographer
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