When your loved one deploys for service, it can be hard to cope by yourself, especially for those of you that have a family.

It’s important that you can take care of yourself during these difficult times. You need to be strong for your partner, your family and friends going through the same experience.

Here are some techniques that you can use while your loved ones are abroad.

1. Health

First and foremost, you need to look after your health. Without good health, everything else becomes that much harder.

Improve your eating habits, get regular exercise and make sure you are getting a good amount of rest. This will not only improve your health, but you will also feel good and your overall mood will be better.

Healthy eating will prevent weight gain, which can become common. If someone struggles, they can sometimes turn to unhealthy food as a comfort. After all, going for a McDonald’s can be very satisfying, not to mention how quick and easy it is to get your hands on.

If you can manage to overcome this by staying clean, you will benefit.

Exercise, in particular, has been proven to be an effective method of getting rid of any negative emotions you may be feeling so get outside or hit the gym and you will see a big difference.

Going for a brisk walk outside every day will help improve your mood and keep yourself fit.

2. Set personal goals

Spouses can often end up feeling like they are just waiting around for their loved one to come home or just contact them. This tough time period can be used an excellent opportunity for self-development. This can be either on a personal front or in your professional career.

This will also prevent you from worrying about them while they are away. Stay busy and get things done.

For personal growth, perhaps you can start to read more books, take some classes and educate yourself; doing something that changes your mindset or education will help you focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

In terms of your career, now is the perfect time to knuckle down and go for that promotion you’ve always wanted or even applying for your dream job.

Keep yourself motivated and you will be just fine while your loved one is away.

3. Set some time aside for yourself

It’s important that you have some quality time that you can spend doing the things that you love by yourself. No distractions, no one to bother you, just you.

Use this time to pursue your hobbies, be that going to a room and just listening to your favorite music, do some yoga, take a long, warm bath or a spa session, just make sure you do you.

Try and do something for yourself every day. It doesn’t matter how long you do it for, all that matters is that you do it. This will help your mental health which is just as important as your physical health.

Finally, don’t be hard on yourself. If there are jobs that haven’t been done because you’ve set aside this time, don’t let it get to you. This personal time will keep you sane.

4. If you’re feeling down, write it down

If you ever experience negative emotions of missing your partner or feeling stressed about this, write them down on a piece of paper.

From here, throw them into the trash. This has a great impact on your mental wellbeing. It’s the physical equivalent of getting rid of all the negativity in your mind.

On the flip side, you could always keep track of when you were feeling great. This will be great to look back on if you’re feeling negative and remind you of the good times.

This also works well if the children contribute to how they are feeling too.

5. Get support

Do not think that you are alone. People around you will be aware of your situation and will be more than willing to help you get through it.

Let them know your feelings and hear their advice. Consult a doctor or professional if need be, just open up to someone.

There is an old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved and it could not be truer in this instance. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and feelings.

At the end of the day, there are people that care for you so don’t have to go through this by yourself.

Support can also come in the form of planning for when they return from duty such as obtaining their copy of DD214. You need to get a plan in place for when your partner or loved one comes back.

These 5 tips will help you take care of yourself while they are deployed and will help you get through this period until they return.