Military Spouse Stress:
Helpful Tips on Reducing Stress
Personal military spouse stress support is hard to find. I
wanted to provide a special section on this site for those who
are married to someone in the United States Military. As many of
you already know, being married to someone in the U.S. Military
brings many unique challenges when it comes to stress, anxiety
and even depression. Being a military wife for many years now, I
have had many experiences that I want to share with those
needing encouragement and hope.
As many of you know, being a military spouse means many
different things to different people. For most active duty
members, it means moving away from your immediate family, it
means leaving behind jobs, friends, and the comfort of your last
home. For others it means building a family by having children
away from the love and support of your immediate families. For
many it means new challenges with anxiety, panic attacks and
even agoraphobia. Military spouse stress is more common than you
know.
I spent much of my husbands military career away from my
family. I left behind a secure job, close friends, and although
my husband and I did end up building a family of our own, we did
it away from the love and support of our immediate families. So
I am speaking from personal experience when I tell you that I
understand the stresses this kind of lifestyle can bring. My
experience with military spouse stress, was the beginning of my
journey with anxiety and panic attacks. It was during those
years that I struggled a lot . I only wish I knew the very
things I am sharing with you now on this website.
Are You a Military Spouse?
We want to hear from you! By telling your story, you are helping others
see that they are not alone.
Share Your Story Today!
Whether you are just starting out as a military spouse or if
you have been in the military for a long time getting ready to
move to your next assigned base... one thing is for sure, it is
a new beginning full of changes! Many times, no matter where you
are living, your spouses next assignment could mean a one year
tour (or longer) to a base that you would not be allowed to go.
This means, staying behind by yourself, with or without children
and worrying about your loved one and their safety.
There are many different things you can do that will make a huge
difference in how you adapt to the stresses that are unique to this lifestyle.
Here are some that I believe will be the most helpful to you.
1.First and foremost, I encourage you to contact your
Military Family Resource Center to help you with your
military spouse stress. Most military bases have this resource
and I honestly do not think it is used enough. The sooner you
get in touch with this resource the better. Whether it is new
job opportunities, finding a babysitter, support groups, family
events, or preparing to move to another base....this resource
center is most valuable. They are there to serve you. You can
also find online support through a military website called
Military HOMEFRONT. It's a great resource so be sure to
check it out. It's important to find out what is available to
you. The more you know, the more you will be prepared and the
more options you will have for yourself. This helps you take
responsibility for your life and opens the door for
possibilities and opportunities.
2. Establish friendships! I know that many
are hesitant to make many close friends. For some it may be for
reasons of social anxiety and others are just afraid of getting
close to someone who is eventually going to move. I want to
encourage you to DO IT ANYWAYS!
One thing we all have in common is military spouse stress!
Get to know your neighbors. Get involved in things you enjoy and
the events that interest you and you will find others you have
something in common with. Remember, you are not alone. Being in
the military means having something in common with mostly
everyone.
3. If you do not work and you are a stay-at-home
parent, you might like to consider getting involved in a play
group. You can even create your own group and meet at
your home. Don't be afraid to open your home and do life
together! You could base your group on any particular interest
including a hobby that interests you.
4. If you are a stay-at-home parent and need to make extra
money and don't want to leave your children to work, you may
consider becoming a Home Daycare Provider through the
military. It is a good way for you to earn extra money
while helping military parents who are away on duty and giving
your children other children to connect and play with. They
provide everything you need to become certified! For more ideas
on how to make money at home visit
Work-At-Home-Mom Information and Support. Military Spouse
Stress is many times caused by money issues.
5. Create a spiritual support system for yourself.
No matter what faith you have, you can find something either on
or off base that you will be able to connect with. One thing I
always did was find a church in the area where I lived where I
felt comfortable. Getting involved by meeting others, and
attending events helps a lot. For me, I would have been lost
without my faith in God. I believe it was the one thing that
kept me grounded.
6. If you are away from your spouse, Skype is a great
way to keep in touch through audio and video. With
Skype you can make computer to computer calls for free and cheap
to landlines and cell phones all over the world. This helps a
lot especially if you have children. Children are very
imaginative and if they can see their parent while they are
talking to them it really produces some really great feelings!
However, if you are in a situation where you cannot talk to your
loved one, there are other things you can do that can make a
difference. One thing I did was print copies of my husbands
picture and taped it to the wall near their beds. You can
encourage your child to talk to their parent as if they were
really there and to say a prayer for them. Encouraging children
(and spouses) to keep a journal is also very helpful. You can do
this by writing an online blog too!
7. Things like MySpace® and Facebook® are great ways to
keep in touch with friends and family that are far away.
I did not have the pleasure of having this resource available to
me during the early years of military life but I think it's
great that we live in a day where this is available. By staying
connected you can help diminish some of that military spouse
stress.
8. Remember managing your stress is very important! It
is the one thing that will help you avoid anxiety and
exhaustion! Be sure to visit
stress management tips for some great ideas on how to manage
your military spouse stress.
9. If you are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks,
depression or even agoraphobia get involved in a support group.
If there isn't any that are near you, get involved online!
This website was created as a free resource site to share with
you everything I learned over the years. Please explore this
site and learn all you can. If you have any questions do not
hesitate to
contact me.
10. When spouses are away it means more work for you!
Remember that you need a break too! Military
Spouse Stress can be alleviated by taking good care of yourself!
Return from Military Spouse Stress Support to Biggest Causes Of Stress
Sound-Mind.Org Homepage
|
