Congratulations—you’re engaged! Whether you’re in the early planning stages or in the thick of the process, this is undoubtedly an exciting time in yours and your partner’s life. Simultaneously, the wedding-planning period is also a time fraught with great pressure and stress. There’s so much to do in seemingly little time.
Luckily, scoring yourself a set of massages can really help. From easing stress, tension, and anxiety to boosting your memory and happiness levels, here are some of the ways in which massage therapy can streamline the wedding-planning process for you and your soon-to-be spouse.
It allows you to relax
Relaxation is hard to come by when you’re taking on the all-encompassing project of planning a wedding. Thankfully, a massage can help in more than one way. In addition to committing to a 60-, 75- or 90-minute period of time where you’ll do nothing but lay back, relax and be pampered, you’ll also relieve a great deal of muscle tension.
Yes, pre-wedding stress is real. In fact, one study, published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, found that massage therapy has the ability to decrease cortisol levels in the body, the hormone responsible for stress.
It decreases anxiety
Feeling the pre-wedding jitters? Rest assured it’s totally normal. You’re about to take one of the biggest leaps of your life—getting married. In addition to all the fun aspects of planning your wedding, there are a lot of very official to-dos such as applying for a wedding license, finding an officiant who can marry you and, in some cases, changing one or both of your last names.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious about all the wedding preparation, fear not.
Massage can help relieve pent-up anxiety and give you the downtime to refocus and remember just how much you love your soon-to-be spouse.
Read more: The Incredible Benefits of Massage for Anxiety
It boosts your happiness levels
That same study we just mentioned not only associates decreased stress levels with frequent massage, but it also links it to an increase of happy hormones, specifically serotonin and dopamine. This boost can come in handy in the midst of all of the planning chaos — the wedding invitations, seating charts, guest list, and comments/criticisms from both sides of the family.
Psst, you can book a Zeel massage at home, in a hotel room or at the office. Scoring some additional feel-good hormones can help turn a stressed-out frown upside down. Remember, you’re in charge of your own happiness!
Read more: 3 Ways You Can Share Zeel’s Massage Membership
It improves your memory
With the laundry list of to-dos circling through your mind on a constant basis, it’s easy to forget a thing or two (or five!). Luckily, massage therapy can improve your memory. In fact, one study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, associated accelerated brain development with a body massage.
In other words, taking just an hour (or even less!) out of your day to yourself might make your synapses fire faster when it’s time to get down to wedding-planning business. Who knew!
It helps you sleep better
Once your head hits the pillow, do all of the still-need-to-dos start circling around in your mind? You’re not alone — most brides experience an overwhelming amount of pressure when attempting to balance their work and social lives with planning a wedding.
If you find that you’re not clocking your recommended 7-8 hours of sleep each night, massage therapy can help. In fact, a plethora of studies has shown that massage techniques can aid in sleep. What a better reason to try Zeel’s custom Sleep Massage? Elle, USA Today, and PopSugar did and couldn’t help but rave about it!
It keeps you healthy
Getting sick a few weeks or—gasp!—the week of your wedding is the worst. While there’s much you can do in the months and weeks leading up to your big day to boost your immune system — filling your plate with foods that prevent colds, flu and other illnesses (broccoli, yogurt, spinach, mushrooms, ginger, to name a few!), another well-documented health booster is massage therapy.
In fact, studies have found that regular massage, especially Swedish massages, can directly benefit the body’s immune system.
Read more: The Benefits of a Full Body Massage
Ultimately, take care of yourself
Don’t forget that it’s your day and your wedding planning journey. It’s important that you enjoy both the big day and the process of organizing it. So, take care of yourself, do whatever you have to do to, take breaks and let yourself feel the joy and love!