Wedding planning got you frazzled? Check out these tips to help you calm down.

Exercise. Working out is probably one of the best ways to send your stress levels plummeting. Set aside a little time each day to do a heart-pumping aerobic workout – whether it’s a jog in the park, a spin on the elliptical machine or a kick-boxing class. If you’re short on time, remember that even working out for just 15 minutes is enough to help relieve stress. Exercise releases feel-good endorphins and the buzz you get from knowing you did something positive for your body helps you feel great about yourself.

Do something just for you. With all the wedding hoopla surrounding you, it’s tough to remember to take some time for yourself – indulging in your own hobbies or favorite pastimes. Spend the afternoon window shopping, take a long stroll on your lunch break, get a pedicure or hole yourself up in your apartment to scrapbook for the evening. Think of something that you really enjoy doing, but rarely allow yourself the time for – and do it!

Go out with your girlfriends. Blow off some wedding-planning steam with a girls’ night out. The outing will remind you that you have a strong support system of friends – which is enough to make anyone feel good. Whether it’s an evening at the dive bar where you used to spend every Saturday night, a wild night of dancing or just a quiet dinner or coffee, the point is to spend some bonding time with your pals. If a specific wedding problem has you going crazy (say, your future mother-in-law  keeps adding people you’ve never heard of to the guest list) take the opportunity to vent to your friends, but be sure to only stay on the topic for 20 minutes, maximum. After that you’re only going to get yourself more and more worked up. Besides, your friends may have problems of their own to vent about and listening to them and helping them with their problems will make your own seem smaller.

Go on a date. Set up a weekly date with your fiancé – and stick to it. Don’t use date night to go over the seating chart or argue your point in the band vs. DJ debate – make sure each evening is romantic and fun. Try to talk about anything and everything but your big day. Ask him about his job, if there are any new developments with his favorite sports team or inquire about other things he’s interested in. And be sure to talk about things going on in your life that don’t involve the wedding (if you can’t think of any then it’s definitely time to start working some stuff into your schedule).  Fantasize together about what your lives will be like after the wedding (describe your dream house to each other, discuss your future children’s names or talk about what you plan to do on your honeymoon). Spend that couple of hours each week bettering your relationship and you’ll be reminded that there is a lovable man behind “the groom”.

Get outdoors. There’s something about breathing in fresh air and being out in nature that really calms most people down. Find a quiet spot among trees and blooming flowers where you can just sit quietly and think. Even if you live in a big city, find a park, sit on a bench and watch the world go by. 

Take a yoga class. Think you’re not a yoga kind of girl? Don’t knock it till you try it. Yoga isn’t just about twisting your body into odd positions, it’s about finding peace and harmony with yourself. The breathing exercises alone are enough to send some people into a state of pure relaxed bliss. 

Meditate.  If you’ve tried yoga and it’s just not your style, take some time each day to do nothing but sit still. Sit in a quiet room, breathe deeply and try to clear your mind of all the clutter of the day. Meditating before bed can lead to great sleep. Which brings us to our next stress-busting idea…

Sleep! And not just your usual measly six hours a night. If you wake up every morning feeling groggy and smacking at your alarm clock to get it to give you 10 more minutes, you’re definitely not getting enough shut eye. If you can’t sleep in any later, push your bedtime up 15-20 minutes every day till you’re getting a solid eight hours every night (or more if you need it).

Get a pet. Ok, maybe adding house-training a dog to your lengthy to-do list isn’t really appealing at first thought, but having a loving animal around to pet and cuddle with has been proven to lower blood pressure. If a dog is too much work, cats provide the same stress-relieving benefits and require about a quarter of the effort. Plus, buying a pet together will give you and your fiancé something to bond over – your very first baby to love and care for together!

Don’t procrastinate. Not looking forward to assembling the invitations and addressing the envelopes? Don’t wait until the day before they need to be mailed out or you’ll be pulling and all-nighter (and pulling out your hair) trying to get it done on time. Instead, make a chart in advance of what needs to be done when, then aim to have everything done a week ahead of schedule. This way if something takes a little longer than expected, it’s no sweat.

Commit a random act of kindness. Do something nice for a stranger. For instance, if you happen to notice that  the parking meter of the car you pulled up next to is expiring, pop a quarter in so the driver doesn’t come back to find a ticket on his windshield. If you spot an elderly woman struggling to get her groceries in her car, offer a helping hand. Even something as simple as holding the door open for someone is enough to make you feel great – and feeling good is the first step to relieving stress. (Not to mention that karma is sure to pay you back for your efforts.)

Brainstorm for your vows. After an especially rough day planning your big soiree, sit down with a pen and paper and write down a list of things you love about your fiancé. You’ll no doubt end up with a big fat grin on your face – and you’ll have something to refer to when you’re writing your vows later (or just give him the list as is and put a smile on his face, too).

Think about the big picture. Take a step back and think about what all this wedding planning is for. All the phone calls, decisions, debates, money, etc, etc will all lead up to the day when you and your fiancé will stand in front of all your friends and family and pledge to be by each other’s sides for the rest of your lives. Now doesn’t that make it all worth it?