How to Deal When You’re Sentimental AF

How to Deal When You’re Sentimental AF
BY SARAH BRYAN

This past week I felt pretty sluggish. There’s been a lot of emotions to process with all the wedding festivities starting to happen/getting closer, and it’s making me a bit of an emotional wreck, to say the least, lol. Not totally in a bad way, I’m just super sentimental, and I spend a lot of energy trying to soak in every last drop of every special moment I possibly can. It adds a lot of pressure to these moments; before, during, and after. And I hate it. But at the same time, I appreciate the perspective of knowing these moments won’t happen again and wanting to be fully present for them. The fact that I’m like this when the wedding hasn’t even happened has me thinking I should really prioritize finding the balance between soaking it in and letting it flow. Here’s what’s helped me so far on how to deal when you’re sentimental AF.

1. Prepare accordingly and manage your expectations

Instead of ruminating over every little detail that could go wrong or obsessing over making sure everything goes perfectly, try letting go and lowering your expectations instead. That doesn’t mean just assuming it’ll all go wrong (because that’s really depressing), but more so, trust that it’ll all go perfectly, regardless of whether or not it goes exactly how you thought it would. I know this is something I’ve been writing about a lot lately, releasing control so you can find joy. Clearly, it’s something I’m still working on, and I’m pretty sure it’ll be a lifelong thing. 

2. Be present

When the event has finally arrived, and you find yourself in the midst of it, try to remind yourself that what is happening is very special. In other words, bring your full awareness to the present moment. Doing this keeps me from getting lost in a rush and grounds me so that I really can appreciate everything for the fleeting moment that it is. This leads me to…

3. Take a moment alone if you need

I’ve heard this advice a lot leading up to our own wedding; a favorite memory from many weddings was when couples snuck away, just the two of them, to observe everyone enjoying themselves on their special night. I 1000% plan to do this with Dan, and I think it will help me a lot during the comedown afterward. If you don’t take those moments to slow down, the whole event will fly by and be over before you know it, without you ever taking the time to let it sink in.

4. Take pictures and videos

Anyone who knows me will confirm that I’m taking way too many photos on any given day at any given time. I love to capture moments so that I can look back on them whenever I want and remember the feelings in those frames. The same goes for videos. Whatever helps you relive the memory and cherish it forever! 

5. Try not to stress it

I know the sentimental life can be a tough one, but better to have these worries now than 10, or however many, years down the road when you can’t get those memories back. Sure, I may be a bit of a hoarder when it comes to sentimental stuff, but I have no shame in my game. I want to remember all of the special things that have happened in my life, even the most mundane, tiniest little treasures. I mean, why not? Life is hard, and if I can keep things around that remind me of my most magical moments, then I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

These pieces of advice are easy to dish out when I’m sharing them through writing, but actually implementing them effectively in my own life is quite another thing. Our wedding is five weeks away now, so wish me luck on this journey. From now until then, and for as long as I live most likely, I’ll be learning how to deal when you’re sentimental AF.
Are you super sentimental? How do you handle big events? What do you do to enjoy yourself and take it all in?

If you liked this post, read What Makes Life Meaningful?