How are you feeling right now? From speaking with members, clients and peers in the wedding industry I know so many of you are tired right now. The level of exhaustion being felt by the wedding industry is immense, not a day goes by without someone reaching out to me. But what about you? Now wedding season is over what is your mood?

Earlier in the week I gave a facebook live, you can watch it HERE

• Tired
• Exhaustion
• Impatient
• Disinterested in your business

You’ve had 2 years of back to back weddings, handling new clients alongside postponements so it is understandable you are tired.

Common themes that have come up include:

• Short led time weddings
• Unrealistic demands from clients
• Uncommunicative colleagues in the wedding industry
• So much time working with client none working on the business
• Stopping then getting ill

We’ve all been under a huge amount of mental strain, whether it be financial pressures or health concerns, our minds and bodies have been in survival mode which takes up huge amounts of energy. So what can you do now in preparation for the 2023 proposal season? UKAWP owner Bernadette gives some of her top tips combining experience at the UKAWP with her consultancy business as well.

Rest your body & mind

Getting back to ‘normal’ means increasing the amount of energy you spend doing both physically and mentally. Wedding season is over but new enquires will be filtering in for 2023, but what will you do about your energy?

Tiredness affects your ability to focus and make decisions, so to keep up those energy levels make sure you’re getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep at night and going to bed at a reasonable time.  Embrace afternoon power naps, just 10 minutes can leave you refreshed and energised.

Ensure you do not have too many back-to-back meetings and stagger alongside quieter days. For example I leave Fridays empty and don’t schedule any calls or meetings. This ensures I have time to catch up on office admin, schedule self care (plus as an introvert it gives me a chance to be quiet and not talk at all!)

Use these tools to help you

• Calendly to schedule calls, this is automated and links with zoom and your calendar. You can add questions to the link to ensure you have everything to hand prior to the call. Plus it can send reminders helping reduce the no shows. Plus it’s automated so you can spend your time scaling your business
• Pre screen potential clients before hand so you can check not only that you are available but more importantly that they are an ideal client.
• Time blocking or theme days ensures you are more productive. You might pride yourself on multitasking but did you know each extra task you switch between uses 20–80% of your overall productivity? Whereas concentrating on one task at a time uses 100% of our productivity.
• Schedule time off over Christmas and think about holidays in 2023, block them off now and make a commitment to stick to these dates
• Limit the number of events in 2023
  • This may mean analysing your financials but perhaps in hindsight you took on too many events this year?
  • To ensure your finances do not suffer what about looking at ways to increase profitability AND ways to earn additional money without it using your time?

Eat well

Eating a healthy balance diet, loaded with vitamins, minerals and proteins as well as drinking plenty of water help your body to function efficiently, increasing your metabolism and energy levels and preventing that dreaded afternoon slump that has you reaching for the biscuits.

And while your usual skinny-soy-mocha-latte can give you a temporary energy boost, try not to depend on caffeine to get you through the day as it can lead to a crash later in the day.

Order some healthy snacks in bulk and keep them handy, this will help you make more healthy choices. Consider using a food subscription service like Mindful Chef to deliver new exciting recipes to try, this was a favourite of mine in 2020.

An active body

Rather than tiring you out, exercise (especially first thing) actually helps to increase energy throughout the day. Whether it’s feeling the burn at the gym, morning yoga and stretching, or venturing out on a leisurely walk, being active on a regular basis helps you to stay healthy increases your overall fitness and energy levels

If things are really busy and setting aside an hour is out of the question, simply try to move more throughout the day. Getting up to make a cup of tea, refill your water bottle, take the stairs or walk to the shop during your lunch break are all better than staying static at your desk all day.

An active mind

It’s not just your body that needs to stay active, use these slightly quieter time to increase your knowledge. Read a book, do a daily crossword or tune in to an inspiring podcast, anything that stimulates your mind is going to help you feel less fatigued.

Go and complete all those courses you bought in lockdown, dedicate time every week to work ON your business so you can scale and grow

Make changes now for 2023

What went well and what didn’t? Dedicate half a day to analyse your year so you can make changes for next year. If you need support and guidance on the below either come join the UKAWP or book a consultancy call with Bernadette.

• Set yourself daily habits set up for success
• Exercise
• Knowledge
• Journal
• Forgiveness
• Habits

Additional Support

Come join the UKAWP for regular support on your business and mindset

Coping with a busy wedding season

Theme Days and Time Blocking – read NOW

Are you working in your zone of genius?

Plan 90 days in advance