Between spending every last second with your service member and trying not to countdown to the day they deploy, many spouses forget about planning ways to take care of themselves while they are alone. It is important for a spouse to know that deployments will always be hard, but you can't hide in your room for the entire length of it. Take this advice and find ways to entertain yourself while your spouse is away. You will feel better and time will pass faster, and you might even set a goal for yourself that your spouse will be proud of when they are back home!

Choose a hobby for yourself. Your hobby could be the spouse club on a nearby military base, scrapbooking pictures of you and your spouse, learning to play an instrument, graphic design and opening a CafePress store from your home, growing a garden in your backyard, or anything else that might interest you. Having a hobby you love will give you something to do when you are at your worst and missing your spouse. These hobbies can have other advantages. You will meet new friends in a spouse club and learn what help is available to military families. Scrapbooking will allow you to put together an album to show to friends and family and help you remember your best times with your spouse. Music lessons will get you out of the house and put your focus on a particular subject for a few hours a week. A CafePress store will bring in small income through the designs you sell to other people. Growing herbs or vegetables in your garden could be a way of saving money while your spouse is deployed. If you have children, think of hobbies that they might get into, like volunteering at the local animal shelter to walk dogs.

Many spouses lose track of their exercise and eating habits while their service member is deployed. It can be difficult balancing family life, a household, a job, and even school and still remember to eat right and workout. A pre-planned menu and scheduled gym days are the best cure for this slack. Planning out what you and your family will eat at least weekly will cut down on the price of groceries, allow you to make some healthy choices about the food in your house, and keep those stress pounds at bay. Choosing a few specific hours out of the week for the gym gives you a motivation for going, while giving you some time for yourself. Gyms aboard military bases are free for unlimited use by military members and their families. Many of them are attended by physical fitness trainers who are more than helpful in showing you workouts that are right for your body. If you have young children, a paid-membership gym might be the best choice, because they often feature children's play areas or babysitting services.

One of the most important parts of being without your spouse is not being alone. Surround yourself with friends and family who can provide emotional support while your service member is deployed. Hire a babysitter and go out with your friends. Have dinner at a family member's house. Invite other spouses who are alone to lunch. Even if you just want to get away from the kids for a couple of hours, get out of the house and grab a cup of coffee or go to a bookstore and catch up on your favorite magazines. Spouse clubs are a savior in this area because they organize weekly or monthly events that you can attend. Contact your Key Volunteer to find out what is available to you in your area. The website for your military base will also give you some leads and let you know about events happening aboard the base.

Before the deployment of a large unit from one base, you see many moving trucks, housing areas emptying out, jobs becoming available on and around the base, and more. Many spouses take the time given to them by a deployment to return to wherever they call home. If you have the ability to do this, it can be extremely helpful in dealing with it. Don't quit your job or change your children's schools if it isn't necessary, because you need those consistencies as well. If you do move in with or near your family, it can save you money and give you support while your service member is deployed. Remember to keep most parts of your life steady if you decide to make a major change like moving.

With all the changes a deployment can bring, work and school will stay consistent. Follow through with any classes you planned on taking and focus time and energy on studying for them. Keep up with your job and deadlines, and don't use your spouse's deployment as a reason to stay home or call in sick. Talk to your boss and teachers ahead of time about the situation in case an emergency arises. Some part time places are willing to allow you to quickly leave and answer your phone if the phone call is from your deployed service member. Offices can be more lenient about work hours and allowing you to pick up the children from school or call to check on them if they know your spouse is away. While normally work and school can be the most stressful daily activities in your life, they will give you goals and a focus while you are going through a deployment.

Overall, keep your stress levels to a minimum and deal with everything one step at a time. It is normal to be upset or feel like staying home when your spouse is gone. Even civilians can understand that feeling when their spouse is sent away on a business trip or to a training seminar. You aren't alone in getting through a time like this, so use the people and activities around you to keep yourself together!

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