The wedding is over and you are back from your honeymoon. With all of that stress gone, you were initially relieved, but now you find yourself feeling down. Post wedding blues is a common affliction for many couples. Certainly, you've experienced this to some degree before. From the way we feel right after Christmas to the Monday after a fun vacation, it's natural to have a sense of letdown after something you've been looking forward to for so long is over. Here are a few tips to help you deal with feeling depressed after your wedding.

The Value of Positive Self-Talk

It might sound silly, but there's a lot of value in reminding yourself of what you should focus on and how you should be feeling. Telling yourself that you have plenty to be grateful for and anticipate, and that the depression you are feeling is both common and short-term will help you. When you start feeling sad or restless, pull yourself out of it before it gets too far along. A good script might be something like, "I'm just feeling this way because the wedding is over. But now my marriage is started and there is so much to look forward to."

Find Things to Look Forward To

The first year of marriage is full of shared experiences and memorable moments. Shifting your focus to something new to anticipate will help you replace your depression with more positive emotions. The holiday season is almost upon us, so start planning family dinners and festive weekends of pumpkin carving and pie baking.

Schedule Date Nights & Time with Friends

Another reason that brides can often feel depressed after their wedding is that the money has been spent. Couples often go through their savings for their big day and are on a pretty tight budget for the next year or two. Schedule a few budget-friendly date nights so that something is on your calendar to anticipate. You can also have your friends over to share a bottle of wine and watch your favorite guilty pleasure show.

Take Care of Yourself

When we aren't feeling well, we tend to try and feel better by doing the exact opposite of what we should. So rather than take up permanent residence on the couch in your stretchiest pants with a bag of candy at your side, take really good care of yourself. Remember to get plenty of sleep and follow whatever regular exercise regimen gives you energy and keeps you happy.

Don't Be Embarrassed to Seek Help

If this has been going on longer than you think it should, it may be time to find a therapist or see your doctor. There's absolutely no reason not to. Like any other ailment, being blue for too long may simply be a symptom of a more complicated issue and you shouldn't hesitate to seek help. One common reason that brides might be depressed after their wedding is that the actual event wasn't the fantasy you'd imagined for so long. Whether due to a problematic family member, vendor snafu, or weather restriction, a wedding gone wrong can take awhile to get over. Going in for a little emotional health tune-up might be just the ticket to get you feeling like yourself again!

Photography | Brit Jaye Photography