6 Mental Health Tips Every Military Spouse Should Know
As a military spouse, you experience sacrifice on a regular basis when it comes to packing up your house and moving, saying see you later to your beloved service member, and navigating new people and communities.
You may not be on the front lines each day, but you have your own battles to fight. The sacrifices you make do not go unnoticed, and for that we say thank you. And to show our appreciation, we want you to feel cared for in all the in-between moments, because you matter.
That’s why we’ve compiled six mental health tips to help you navigate and succeed at life as a military spouse.
Keep a Journal
According to Duke Health and Well-Being, journaling is an avenue that provides opportunities for “self-awareness, stress management, and emotional healing.” In a culture that is inundated with emerging technologies and devices at our fingertips, it can be freeing to set those aside for a more analog approach. Picking up a pen and giving yourself permission to let your thoughts flow onto the page gives you space to process, evaluate, and discover yourself along the way. When you finish a journal, you can go back and read what you wrote two months, two years, or two decades prior and see how far you’ve come!
Or if you want to take another approach, try junk journaling, where you write your stream of consciousness. After writing, purposefully cover up the words with stickers, drawings, and designs. In the process, you’re letting your worries go and moving on to focus on something else.
Find Ways to Stay Connected With Your Spouse
Different seasons of life require strategy when it comes to supporting your military spouse and staying connected to them when transitions, moves, or deployments arise. While it may feel like you’re on two different schedules, you are still on the same team, cheering each other on, which makes having fun all the more enjoyable and memorable. There are countless date ideas specifically geared toward military spouses. Whether you both decide to experience a sunset while on kayaks, explore the collections in an art gallery, or let your competitive side come out as you navigate an escape room, the experiences you have will help create lasting memories.
If you’ve been wanting to travel and explore a new place, check out these military benefits for discounts as a thank you to our service members and their military spouses.
Take Advantage of Mental Health Services
It’s okay to ask for help because it reminds yourself and others that you are human. There are confidential counseling services available for you to talk through new changes, stressors, or challenges. When you meet with a trained professional, you will receive tools to help you manage a range of emotions, cope with grief and loss, and support your mental health and overall well-being.
These resources can provide you with the framework to make sense of your everyday life and navigate challenges.
Join a Support Group With Other Military Spouses
No one is meant to journey through life alone, and community is at your fingertips. Connecting with other military spouses provides a space for you to be seen and relate to others who are walking a similar road to you. Lived experiences can bridge the gap and provide familiarity in your life.
A support group with other military spouses could improve your quality of life, encourage overall well-being, and strengthen your endurance.
Not only will this space provide you with a chance to connect with others, but it can open doors for conversations on how to navigate transitions with your children when you need to move, how to connect with your spouse while they are deployed, and how to prioritize self-care while caring for those you love.
Your mental health will thank you for taking the time to invest in other people, and along the way you may discover that you are the encouragement someone else has been seeking. To connect with a support group in your area, explore options through the National Resource Directory and Military One Source.
Pick a Hobby
There are enough stressors and responsibilities in life that it’s helpful to support your mental health by finding activities you enjoy to create pockets of fun in your week.
Picking a hobby doesn’t mean you have to excel at the activity, but it should be something you enjoy doing. Whether it’s learning a new sport like pickleball, which is a great way to meet new people and form friendships, or starting a garden to add fresh herbs and produce to your family meal time, there is an option for everyone.
Here are just a few more ideas to get you started on picking a hobby: crocheting, DIY-ing furniture, learning a new instrument or language, reading a book, or going to the gym.
Pick one or two and make it a consistent part of your schedule so you have something to look forward to! You may just notice your mental health improve when you let the worries fade for a moment.
Take Care of Your Body
You already sacrifice a lot for your family as a military spouse. It’s vital for you to take the time you need to care for your body so you can keep showing up for those you love—for the long haul.
How you care for your body physically will have a direct impact on your mental health.
Getting adequate sleep, eating whole foods and avoiding processed meals, moving your body throughout the day, laughing, practicing gratitude, setting goals, creating memories in the mundane moments, and getting outside to capture fresh air and sunshine can help boost your mood.
Setting aside time for yourself as a military spouse may not feel easy, but you are strong and used to doing hard things. Now’s your time to support your mental health so you can keep doing what you love with those you love.
Blackstone Career Institute is Here to Support You
We want to walk with our service men and women and their families each step of the way. With a blog archive of resources specifically geared toward military families and online, self-paced diploma programs (including MyCAA-approved options) to help you achieve your career goals, Blackstone stands behind you.
Written by Laura Conaway
