It is inevitable. When your husband deploys, you will have to deal with a household crisis that you would never have thought you would have the gumption to deal with on your own. My personal horror stories – flat tire on the way home, death of a close family friend, surgery for my dog – aren’t even as bad as many that I’ve heard. But every incident I dealt with made me much stronger after the fact because I learned great tools to manage a crisis at home during a deployment.
Accept Reality. Right now the ball’s in your court and yours alone, because during a deployment, you have no backup. Once you accept the fact that you have no choice but to take action in a crisis, you will naturally start to muster up the confidence to take on any situation.
Be Calm. After all, what’s the alternative? I can’t think of a crisis that would be better handled if someone was hysterical. Try deep breathing and create your own “deployment mantra” that you can silently chant to channel your tension.
Filter Information. We’ve discussed key ways to interact with your husband that will result in an A+ deployment in a previous post. It is important to remember to be careful about what you share with your husband while he is deployed for two reasons. First, and most obviously, because you don’t want to add to his stress. But second, because he may not have the capacity to react the way you’d expect him to at home or in the field. That’s a sad fact that can end up being hurtful to you, so it’s best to avoid it all costs.
The truth of the matter is that you are stronger and more capable than you think. I don’t care who you are. You just have to trust in yourself and follow these tools and you can sail through any household crisis. Next week in Part Two, I’ll identify great resources to help you with specific crises.
Photo by: dustpanalley
