By Laura Seldon for GalTime.com
So, you finally met the love of your life, got engaged in the most romantic way possible and the two of you toasted your love in the biggest party you’ve ever thrown (which is a now a day you count among the happiest of your entire life). But after all that fun and excitement, you’re finding yourself feeling a little down.
“Post-wedding blues are very normal,” says Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles. “It’s as though the circus packed up and left town, and so too has the event that has motivated the bride’s every thought for months, if not years!” If your wedding excitement has turned into wedding-woe-is-me, then here are five great ways to channel your newlywed bliss.
1. Talk About It
If you’re feeling down now that your big day has come and gone, there is a good chance your partner knows something is up, but is unsure of what’s going on.
“With every great change comes discomfort,” says Cherilynn Veland, a licensed clinical social worker in Chicago. “Expect it, talk about it, even toast to it.” Who knows, maybe your mate is feeling the same way. Talk about it honestly and you’ll likely to start to feel better when you open up.
Related: Premarital Counseling – The Pros and Cons
2. Keep the Party Going
“Extend the fun a little longer,” suggests Dr. Durvasula. “When the pictures come out, have friends over and use all of those new dishes. Or, just have friends over and let your wedding be the event that re-connected you with people you care about.”
Connecting with your closest friends and sharing an evening of laughter can’t help but lift your spirits.
3. Get Back to What You Do Best
Not sure how to spend all that free time now that your wedding-planning days are behind you? Put those organizational skills to good use by volunteering at a local non-profit or simply planning a BBQ or movie night for your neighbors.
“Get involved with your community as newlyweds,” suggests Carolina Caro, a life coach based in Los Angeles. “You’ll have more fun and get to know more people!”
4. Celebrate Your Marriage
We often hear that the wedding and honeymoon are the most exciting times in a relationship. “That is just not true — your marriage is,” say Doug and Leslie Gustafson, a married team of therapists in Denver, Colorado. “You are together, you are free, and you get to have all the romance, sex and excitement that you choose to have whenever you choose to have it! Live it up.”
Related: 10 Relationship Behaviors You Think Are Odd…That Are Totally Normal
Celebrate your love by planning a few date nights, scheduling a romantic getaway or just surprising your mate with breakfast in bed — they’ll thank you for it and will be grateful they married such a catch!
5. Grow Your Marriage
After the hustle and bustle of wedding planning, many couples need to reconnect since they have been so focused on organizing their dream wedding for several months (or even years). Now that you’ve enjoyed that special time together, get focused on the special time you have together as newlyweds.
“Settle in to your new life and get to know each other in and out of the bedroom,” the Gustafsons suggest. “Stay involved with each other and keep the love alive by finding new ways to show your love every day.”
No doubt about it, weddings are exciting. With so much anticipation, emotions and adrenalin going throughout the months leading up to your wedding, it is inevitable you would experience some type of crash after it’s all done. Keep an awareness about the feelings you are having, which are normal and natural responses to such a major life change, and you’ll hopefully find your newlywed bliss in no time!
