The ability to manage one's emotions is essential for maintaining healthy relationships.
When a partner is deployed, their emotional regulation may be affected by various factors such as stress, separation anxiety, and loneliness. This can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and conflict that ultimately affect the relationship's quality and stability. In this article, I will discuss how differences in emotional regulation strategies between partners can impact relational satisfaction during deployment.
One way to understand emotional regulation is through the term "emotional reactivity." Emotional reactivity refers to the speed at which an individual responds to external stimuli and how intense they feel those emotions. High emotional reactivity means that individuals experience strong feelings quickly and intensely, while low emotional reactivity means that individuals take time to process their emotions and do not feel them very strongly. Differences in emotional reactivity can cause communication breakdown and misunderstandings.
A high-reactive person may interpret a low-reactive partner's slow response to an upsetting event as indifference or lack of concern. On the other hand, a low-reactive partner may perceive their high-reactive partner's outbursts as irrational or unreasonable. These misunderstandings can lead to tension and resentment, leading to a decline in relational satisfaction.
Another factor that can affect emotional regulation is emotion-focused coping style. Emotion-focused coping styles involve engaging with one's emotions directly and trying to change them.
People who use avoidance-oriented emotion-focused coping strategies suppress their negative emotions by distracting themselves, whereas others who use approach-oriented strategies engage with their emotions actively. Differences in emotion-focused coping style between partners can also impact relationship quality during deployment.
If one partner uses avoidance-oriented strategies and the other uses approach-oriented strategies, this can result in frustration and confusion about each other's emotions, which leads to dissatisfaction.
It is crucial for couples to communicate openly and honestly about their emotional needs and preferences regarding emotional regulation strategies before deployment. This way, they can better understand each other's perspective and develop strategies to manage their emotions more effectively together.
They could agree on communication guidelines such as setting boundaries around when and how much they should share information, what topics are off-limits, and how to respond to each other's emotional reactions.
Couples may benefit from practicing active listening, validation, and empathy towards each other's feelings.
Differences in emotional regulation strategies between partners can significantly impact relational satisfaction during deployment. To maintain healthy relationships, it is essential for couples to understand each other's unique approaches to managing their emotions and work collaboratively to find effective ways to cope with stressors.
How do differences in emotional regulation strategies between partners affect relational satisfaction during deployment?
Emotional regulation is an essential factor in relationships as it allows individuals to express their feelings appropriately, manage stressful situations, and maintain harmony in the relationship. When one partner has different emotional regulation strategies than the other, it can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and decreased relational satisfaction. This is especially true when one partner experiences more intense emotions that may be perceived by the other as overwhelming or disruptive to their mental health.