Couples who have been deployed or assigned to dangerous jobs need to work hard to stay connected. They may be apart for months or years and experience stressful situations that make it difficult to remain close. Psychologists suggest several ways that they can do this, including communication, trust building, and mutual support. In this article, I'll explain how these mechanisms help them stay emotionally attached even when far from each other.
Couples must communicate regularly. This means talking about their experiences, feelings, hopes, fears, and plans daily. Phone calls and video chats are ideal, but letters, emails, and texts also work well. Communication builds understanding and strengthens bonds. It helps partners feel heard and understood and reduces isolation. When partners share their thoughts and emotions, they deepen their connection and create a stronger sense of intimacy.
Couples should build trust through transparency. They should share everything - good news, bad news, successes, failures, doubts, and insecurities. Trust is essential in relationships because it allows partners to be vulnerable without fearing rejection or betrayal. Partners who trust each other feel safe sharing personal information, which promotes closeness and intimacy. Building trust requires honesty, accountability, respect, loyalty, and consistency.
Couples can show support by being there for each other during deployments and high-risk assignments. They can offer practical assistance, like help with household tasks or childcare. They can send care packages and cards. They can listen patiently and offer encouragement. Couples who show support remind each other that they are not alone and provide a strong foundation for the relationship. Support shows commitment and love, which enhances emotional closeness.
Fourth, couples should celebrate milestones together. They can use technology to mark birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or special occasions. This strengthens the bond between them and makes them look forward to spending time together again. Milestone celebrations give partners something to anticipate and make separation more bearable.
Couples must prioritize their relationship. This means making time for each other when possible and scheduling regular reunions. Planning visits or video chats helps maintain excitement and keeps the relationship alive. It's also important to keep the romance alive, such as sending sexy messages or planning surprises. Prioritizing the relationship demonstrates commitment and dedication, which fosters emotional connection.
Psychological mechanisms enable couples to stay emotionally close despite repeated deployments or dangerous jobs. Communication, trust building, mutual support, milestone celebration, and prioritization all contribute to this goal. By working on these areas, couples can remain emotionally connected even when apart and build a stronger, healthier relationship.
Which psychological mechanisms enable couples to maintain emotional closeness despite repeated deployments or high-risk assignments?
The psychological mechanisms that enable couples to maintain emotional closeness despite repeated deployments or high-risk assignments are communication, empathy, trust, understanding, support, mutual respect, flexibility, compromise, and shared experiences. These mechanisms help partners to stay connected and maintain their relationship even when they are apart for long periods of time due to work obligations.