Deployments aren’t easy, whether you’re the Airman heading overseas or the family that has to hold down the fort while their loved one is away. Adults and children can develop anxiety and other complicated emotions as they worry about their loved one’s safety. While the stress of deployment is natural, it’s important for those at home to learn how to manage these feelings so they can continue with their lives and thrive in their relationships. Coming up with a plan to handle these emotions can help deal with the stress of deployment. 

Challenges for Loved Ones at Home During a Deployment

Deployment is hard on everyone involved, including the loved ones who get left behind while our Airmen go to fight overseas. Separation from someone we love, whether it’s for several months or a few years, is never easy. It can feel like someone important to you is missing out on big parts of your life, and that you’re having to deal with everything alone. Emotional distress, financial struggles, and logistical issues can create numerous challenges for loved ones left at home.

6 Tips for Managing Your Life at Home During Deployment

While there are plenty of challenges of being at home while you’re loved one is deployed, there are ways to manage this separation until you’re reunited with your Airman. Below are some tips for dealing with the separation until the deployment ends and you can see your loved one again.

1. Get Ready for Deployment

Before the deployment even happens, it’s important to prepare for your loved one's work overseas by sitting down with them and having an honest discussion about the anticipated challenges and expectations. It’s likely your schedule and life will go through some changes while your Airman is gone, so setting clear expectations can help alleviate some of your stress or anxiety.

For example, talking about communication while your loved one is deployed can answer questions about how often you’ll be able to hear from them. Even if you only get to talk for short periods, knowing when you can communicate can help you feel a little better about the separation. You should also talk about how you will handle things on the home front while your loved one is deployed, especially when it comes to things like childcare, emergencies, or finances.

2. Get Active and Involved

While deployments can be overwhelming, you don’t want to allow yourself to fall into a depression or let your life go on without you while you’re waiting for your Airman to return home. Instead of spending all your time worrying, try to focus on staying active, which will help with any anxious thoughts or feelings you may be experiencing. There are several ways to stay active while your loved one is overseas, such as:

• Exercising
• Maintaining your home
• Learning a new hobby or skill
• Attending events
• Spending time with friends and family

Keeping a busy schedule or sticking to your regular schedule can help reduce downtime, which will help prevent you from entering an anxious spiral. You can also find support through your local Family Readiness Program, which will connect you to military spouses and families who understand what you’re going through. 

3. Keep a Steady Routine

While your loved one being away from home will create some sort of break in your routine, try to stick with the rest of your routine as best as you can. Our brains thrive with regular routine, and you can help ease the transition if you stick to what you know as best as you can.

A routine is especially important if you have children, since their lives will be disrupted once one of their parents goes away for a long period of time. Keep your children on as similar a schedule as you can, and add activities or extracurriculars as needed to help prevent separation anxiety. Create a space for your children to talk about their feelings and express their emotions during this difficult time. If you feel like you’re becoming overwhelmed, your support system can help you navigate some of the challenges you’re dealing with as the parent at home while you’re loved one is deployed. 

4. Help Your Airman Stay in the Loop

Deployments are very isolating for everyone involved, but especially your Airman, who may be missing out on the important moments in life. It can also create difficult emotions for you, knowing that there are important things going on at home that your loved one can’t participate in. Try to make an effort to keep your Airman informed about what’s happening at home, which can help create feelings of closeness while you’re separated. Something as simple as talking about your day can help them feel closer to you, even if they can’t disclose too much information about what’s happening overseas. 

5. Make Care Packages

A simple but effective way to stay close to your Airman while they’re overseas is to create a care package for them. Not only will it help you feel like you’re doing something to help your loved one, but it will also make them feel like you’re thinking of them while they’re away. Care packages can include several things that can bring your Airman comfort, such as snacks, letters, photos, and more. You can even make it a family event by creating a package with your children, which can help them feel closer to their parent who is away overseas. 

6. Take Care of Yourself

Everyone involved in a deployment experiences stress, whether it’s the Airman overseas or the family dealing with their own challenges back home. The stress can take a significant toll on your mental health if you’re not careful, which can have a drastic impact on your life. If you’re finding it difficult to handle your loved one's deployment, make sure you’re taking care of yourself and your basic needs. Some things you can do to improve your mental health while your Airman is overseas include:

• Keeping a healthy sleeping schedule, diet, and workout routine
• Finding support through groups or other military spouses
• Journaling about your feelings 
• Making connections and forming new friendships
• Learning a new hobby or skill
• Talking to a professional when necessary
• Avoiding negative talk or thoughts about your loved one's deployment

Make Sure You’re Equipped For Your Deployment With Uniforms From AUSI

If you’re preparing for a deployment, you’ll need uniforms to ensure you stay within Air Force regulations while you’re overseas. At American Uniform Sales, we offer AFI-compliant uniforms to help ease your mind when purchasing uniforms. You can trust our uniforms will keep you within strict regulations, so you have less to worry about while you’re overseas. Get started by checking out our selection, or contact us if you have any questions.