Soldiers need to manage stressful situations, including deployments away from their families and close friends for long periods, intense physical training, traumatic events, and constant vigilance. Maintaining healthy relationships is essential for overall well-being, especially during such times.
Military life can be challenging because it requires sacrifice and dedication. Partners may struggle to cope with this new reality, leading them to employ coping mechanisms that are insufficient or inconsistent with operational demands. Therefore, soldiers must work towards relational resilience by building trust, communicating effectively, establishing boundaries, seeking support, and learning self-care strategies.
Maintaining healthy relationships when partners' coping mechanisms are limited can be difficult but possible. Here are some ways that soldiers can foster relational resilience:
1. Communication: Effective communication involves active listening, empathy, honesty, and patience. Soldiers should listen attentively without interrupting or judging their partner's feelings and try to understand their perspectives and emotions. It also means expressing themselves clearly, honestly, and openly without blaming or criticizing their partners. They should avoid assumptions, defensiveness, and stonewalling behaviors.
2. Boundaries: Healthy boundaries involve setting clear expectations, prioritizing needs, and saying "no" when necessary. Soldiers should discuss their schedules, responsibilities, and priorities with their partners and ensure they have time for self-care and relationship maintenance. This helps maintain respect, trust, and balance in the relationship.
3. Support: Seeking support from family, friends, colleagues, and mental health professionals is crucial for managing stress and maintaining resilience. Soldiers should not hesitate to ask for help when needed and use available resources to improve their well-being.
4. Self-care: Practicing self-care involves eating healthily, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and engaging in relaxation activities. Soldiers should take breaks from work, spend quality time with loved ones, and do things they enjoy to recharge. This promotes physical and mental health, enhances relationships, and supports resilience.
5. Mutual understanding: Understanding each other's coping mechanisms can help soldiers identify areas of compromise and collaboration. Partners may need to adjust their coping styles to accommodate operational realities while still finding ways to cope effectively.
A partner who likes to cook might make more meals at home, while another takes on more chores or childcare duties. This requires flexibility and mutual respect.
Relational resilience is essential for military personnel's overall well-being and performance. Fostering effective communication, setting boundaries, seeking support, practicing self-care, and understanding partners' coping styles are some ways that soldiers can achieve this goal. With effort and commitment, soldiers can build strong relationships despite the challenges of military life.
How do soldiers maintain relational resilience when partners' coping mechanisms are insufficient or incompatible with operational realities?
According to a study by Riggs et al. , soldiers may maintain their relationship during deployment through communication, self-care, and understanding of each other's needs. In addition, being flexible and supportive can help couples cope with operational stressors.