During deployment, military couples face numerous challenges that can strain their relationship. These include frequent separations, dangerous situations, traumatic experiences, and shifting roles and responsibilities. To cope with these challenges, many military couples develop strategies for maintaining emotional closeness, navigating conflict, and supporting one another's needs. This involves cultivating resilience, mutual understanding, and adaptive coping skills.
One way that military couples cultivate resilience is by building emotional strength and flexibility. They learn to accept and manage difficult feelings such as fear, anger, and sadness without becoming overwhelmed. They recognize that they may experience stress and anxiety during deployments but work together to find ways to ease them.
They might practice deep breathing exercises or exercise regularly. Couples also create routines and rituals that help them stay connected, even when apart. This could involve sending letters, care packages, or sharing photos.
Another way that military couples build mutual understanding is by communicating openly about their thoughts and feelings. They discuss their concerns and expectations about deployment beforehand, establishing clear boundaries around topics of conversation and communication frequency. When separated, they make an effort to check in often, share updates, and listen actively to each other's needs. They respect each other's differences in personality and preferences and strive to meet each other halfway. By doing so, they foster a sense of trust and intimacy that can help them weather the storms of separation.
Adaptive coping skills are essential for military couples who must navigate the unpredictable nature of military life. They learn to be flexible and resourceful in responding to change.
If plans change unexpectedly, they adjust their schedules or priorities accordingly. They take time to relax and recharge during down time and seek support from friends, family, or professionals if needed. Some military spouses develop hobbies or pursue new interests while their partner is deployed to keep themselves busy and distracted from missing them. Others rely on faith or spirituality to provide comfort and guidance during difficult times.
Military couples demonstrate remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of repeated relational disruptions. With patience, empathy, and collaboration, they work together to maintain healthy and fulfilling relationships despite the challenges of military service.
In what ways do military couples cultivate resilience, mutual understanding, and adaptive coping in response to repeated relational disruptions?
The literature on military couples suggests that they face numerous challenges due to frequent relocations, separation, deployment, and traumatic experiences. Thus, they need to develop specific skills that allow them to cope with these stressors effectively. Resilience involves the capacity to recover from difficult situations and maintain wellbeing, while mutual understanding refers to the ability to communicate openly and empathically about different points of view.