Sophie Habboo reveals she 'lost herself' and felt 'pulled in every direction' following the stress of her wedding to Jamie Laing - after taking time out amid anxiety battle

Sophie Habboo has revealed she 'lost herself' and felt 'pulled in every direction' following the stress of her wedding to husband Jamie Laing.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, told MailOnline she 'spread herself too thin' in the build-up to the couple's big day, which saw them host 210 friends and family in Marbella while documenting the memorable occasion on their podcast Newlyweds.

Speaking for the first time since taking an extended break and seeking professional help, Sophie says it was the 'best decision' she could have made because it gave her the chance to reground and establish new boundaries.

Sophie and Jamie officially tied the knot at Chelsea Town Hall in May but they celebrated their vows with a big Spanish party attended by their friends including Sam Thompson and his girlfriend Zara McDermott, Spencer Matthews, Lottie Moss, and Millie Mackintosh.

And while Sophie will remember the day as one of the best she's ever had, she's also relieved that her married life with Jamie, 35, who was incredibly supportive given his own past struggles with anxiety, has begun, and they can look forward to the next chapter.

She said: 'The build-up to the wedding, as much as it was the most special day of my life, it was incredibly public and while I loved sharing that journey, I lost myself and I felt pulled in every direction... I felt really anxious.

'I felt incredibly overwhelmed and once we got married, I felt that it was an amazing day, we've done it and we're married now but I needed to get back to feeling like myself.

'The best decision was to take some time to myself, ground myself, reevaluate things, and then be able to carry on and root myself.

'It was so good for me taking time off social media and being by myself.

'I love being open and I love Newlyweds and the community and everyone being on the journey with us but I needed that time and to have some privacy.

'I was spreading myself a little bit too thin but now I have boundaries… I am lucky enough that I felt great and ready and so excited to come back.'

After returning to social media and her podcast, which she co-hosts with Jamie, Sophie shared with her followers that her need for space came because her anxiety became 'debilitating' as she reassured her fans that it's okay to struggle and ask for help when you need it.  

Four months later, Sophie says she's in a much better headspace and has Jamie, who she met filming E4 reality show Made In Chelsea, to thank for his unwavering support.

She said: 'Jamie was amazing… I'm very lucky that I have an incredibly supportive husband.

'Jamie has experienced anxiety and has been open about it and coming out of the other side… He really helped me through it.

'I am in a much better space now, I feel happy and I almost feel lucky that I went through that period because it has made me grow and learn things… I have grown as a person. 

'Married life is glorious… it is glorious. It is very nice and feels very calm.

'We're married now, we're in that zone and it's great… it's like how we were before but knowing that we're never going to be apart… and also not having to plan something for 210 people.' 

Sophie's commitment to looking after herself this year has seen her begin a new fitness regime, working out with a personal trainer to feel stronger both mentally and physically.

And she will be wearing her new collection with fitness clothing brand USA Pro, which consists of four key capsules, Sculpt, Flex, Seamless and Core, as she trains.

Showcasing the range in MailOnline's exclusive images, Sophie says her line is not only comfortable and functional but also at an affordable price.

She said: 'I am really excited about this. 

'I have always loved exercising but recently it has become much more of my essential routine.

'But gym wear is either so expensive or just not that flattering or good quality and this is a really reasonable price, great quality, I love the way it looks, and you don't have to wear it just in the gym… I wear it all day long and I'm really happy with it.

'It has all been tested, people have squatted in the leggings over and over again to make sure they're durable.' 

Sophie explained that her reason for training has changed over the years, and she's gone from booking into regular classes to lifting weights.

She enjoys the benefits exercising has on her mental health and wellbeing rather than focusing on a physical body goal.

'I used to be a gym class girl and I would nail one gym class and just continue going to that same gym class and get so bored of it and go onto the next,' Sophie said.

'Then recently, and don't ask why this happened after my wedding, I got a personal trainer, and I love working out with her.

'We do weights, which I never thought I would do… and I love it.

'I get so much joy out of it and I feel stronger and healthier because of it… so now it's all about resistant training.

'I love working out just for the endorphins, so I do it mostly for my mental health rather than physical health. My PT wanted to make me stronger and I feel like I enjoy being stronger.'

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