10 Pre-Event Feel Good Tips
Hosting a party can be very stressful. In my past career I planned events for the largest luxury retailer in Canada. Ooof the stress was real. I completely stopped taking care of myself and was focused solely on the client, customers and event. It’s in large why I did a 180, quit that job and turned to fitness and health to heal.
Now I know, planning event’s for work is much different than hosting a cocktail party for your friends…. but at the end of the day, no matter which it is, YOU must be feeling good to be able to bring it all to life. Especially if it’s your holiday party, birthday or in my case this week, my engagement party. The biggest flop in my eyes would be spending all the time thinking of how the party will unfold for everyone else, and I show up, feeling low or crappy and not able to enjoy it.
I recently shared a post on instagram about getting really clear on what I wanted to get out of the event before going into it. (You’ll see my suggestions on this below!) One of the things I got clear on was to make sure I was heading into the event feeling my best self, so I could spend the evening engaging with friends and not just running through the motions without even enjoying it. Can you imagine, not being present during your engagement party, birthday, wedding, holiday gatherings…. WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE!
I put together 10 tips that will keeping you not only feeling your best, but also present during your most special moments this holiday season, and hopefully long past that. Enjoy! xx
Plan Your Week
Make a chart for the week or weeks leading up to the event. Think about what your non-negotiables are for feeling good and track them. I have a weekly planner on my fridge and each day it reminds me to meditate, workout, go for a walk, take my B vitamins and try and get to bed by 10pm. Making those goals for the week of help you keep on track to feeling good. Your non- negotiables will probably be different but, those are a few of mine that I try to maintain so I can feel good and ready for the event!
What Do You Want Out of It?
In my case for our engagement party, Trev and I didn’t want to let this special weekend slip by without getting really clear on what we want out of it. I find that always helps to bring us into the present and enjoy it more if we know what we’re looking for. After all, I’m a firm believer that if we aren’t clear on what we want, we can never expect it to just show up.
If you’re looking for inspiration, here is one of my top priorities to get out of our upcoming event:
We want to make sure we are being present with our guests & actively spending time with everyone coming to celebrate us. I know from hosting so many parties how easy it is to spend the night filling everyone’s glasses rather than “filling up our cups together” - the psycho-emotional ones. Those are the real cups that need filling right now! And we hope to it make a priority at all our gatherings this holiday.
Take Time With Your S.O Before The Event
Whether thats your parents you are hosting holiday dinner with, your roommates or your husband before a special occasion, this applies to everyone we will be “hosting” with. I hear this a lot for weddings, but it’s really important to us that we get to spend aligned time leading up to and during our engagement party. It’s easy to get side tracked & focused on guests rather than us, but at the end of the day our energy and love will translate to the celebration.
5 minute Meditations Each Day
Taking just the smallest amount of time to meditate can benefit you in so many ways. Meditation can help keep stress at bay before the big event which could otherwise reflect on your face, body and everything beyond how you mentally feel. But of course, the mental impact is our favourite. Knowing how busy everyone is leading up to an event, a mindfulness practices is typically the first thing to go, but for as long as it’s taking you to read this, you can meditate with me for 60 seconds or five minutes and instantly feel good. Give it a try here.
Schedule Your Appointments Early
Always make sure you schedule your appointments with ample time whether that be nails, spray tan or hair. There is no time too early to plan so if you know your event date, go ahead and schedule it in so you don’t need to worry about timing. This way when you get closer to the date it’s a non-negotiable as the busy schedule of the week fills up, plus you’re scheduled around YOUR schedule rather than trying to fit a manicure into a busy schedule when they only have two slots left that week.
Make one of Them a Facial
Plan to get a facial 4-5 days before the event so your skin has time to really get the full benefits. You’ll not only be treating yourself to some R&R but also will come out glowing. My favourite facial is from The Freeze Clinic in Toronto. I cannot stress enough how nice my skin is post visit.
Go to Bed Early
Set a bedtime for the week leading up to the event and make sure you get ample sleep before the big day is SUPER important. By prioritizing your event and your sleep it will leave you feeling well rested and increase your energy throughout the day! Plus, if you’re sleep deprived chances are you will feel more anxious and more stressed.
Exercise
Prioritizing your health and telling your body you love it is really important in big moments. Even if you only have time for a short workout there are so many quickie workouts you can do. Some of my favourites are quickies on A Sculpt Body and Form - their 15 - 20 minutes burners are exactly what I’ve been needing to make sure I’m feeling good and can easily fit something into my day.
Meal Plan
Leading up to the event you’re going to be very busy. Try planning easy meals so you don’t need to stress or worry about what you’re having for dinner during the week. Chances are, this isn’t the week you want to end up eating fast food at 11pm (or worse, skipping meals!) because you were so busy and nothing was in your fridge. Try to meal prep or at least meal plan that week, even if you don’t usually, because it will make a huge difference on your mood & energy levels if you’re fuelling with great meals.
Limit Alcohol
If you think it’s going to be a busy, stressful week and you know you will be having drinks on the weekend, limiting alcohol can help. I always limit drinking and social nights during a week leading up to something big so you can have that balance, enjoy the final event and get better sleep during such a busy time.