When someone close to you is going through difficult times, it can affect you too.This is because it can be hard to see a person you love hurting or frustrated and those emotions can rub off on you, which is especially true when it comes to a spouse as its someone you see regularly and share physical, emotional, and mental bonds as well as space with. For this reason, it is important that you’re able to support your spouse in any way possible and be there for them in the best way that you can. If you aren’t sure exactly how you can help them, this article will outline five practical ways.
Listen to Them
Listening to your spouse when things aren’t going well in their life can go a long way in helping them feel better. It can be easy to forget how to listen to them seeing as you tend to spend so much time together and are likely on the road to finishing one another’s sentences. However, learning how to actively listen to them is key when they’re going through hard times. This may especially be true as they may not always be up for talking and may find it difficult to open up. When they do, you should, therefore handle their thoughts and offloading with care and try and understand where they’re coming from. Some tips on learning to listen to your spouse include giving clear feedback that you’re listening and reflection of feelings which requires you to genuinely sympathize with what they’re telling you to an extent. Other ways of actively listening include keeping eye contact, ensuring your body language is positive and making sure you give them your undivided attention.
Cook Healthy Meals
When your spouse is going through tough times, they may either be reluctant to eat or struggling with binge eating. You should help them by ensuring they’re eating the right things and avoiding comfort eating or skipping meals. It is also important that they have enough energy and are well-nourished during these periods, so increasing the amount of healthy food they eat could help too. There are certain foods that are capable of lifting their moods, so perhaps, try including those in their meals. Some include nuts, spinach, fermented foods, vegetables, beans and peas, fruit, and fish. You could think about creating a special meal plan during their downtime which incorporates some of the suggested foods and hopefully, you’ll see a slight change in their mood. If you notice that they’re still constantly snacking on junk, try making healthy snacks for them to eat throughout the day. If your spouse is usually the one cooking and you step in to cook more often, you may find that they feel more loved and better-taken care of.
Be Patient
Everybody goes through difficult times differently. While you may be able to scale through like a champ, your spouse might find it more difficult. For this reason, you should try and be more understanding and let them get through it in their own way. In the case where they begin indulging in unhealthy behavior such as drinking regularly and acting out of character, however, you should take this more seriously. If they can’t seem to get a hold of their drinking, then you should consider looking foralcohol rehab centers so that the problem doesn’t escalate out of control.Some things you can try to help you be more patient are taking a break when you feel yourself getting frustrated, looking after yourself by making sure you eat and rest, and being understanding to the fact that they may not fully be themselves.
Suggest Activities
Not everyone feels like being active when they’re down. On the other hand, they’re more likely to want to sit in a room and wallow in their sorrows. However, as their spouse, it’s your job to try and get them to do anything besides from sitting around moping all day. Try subtly suggesting activities such as taking a walk, watching a movie, or going for a swim. Some other suggestions for things to do include going to a comedy show, visiting family or friends that they’re fond of, or going out to eat. Your spouse may be reluctant at first, but once they go out and get some fresh air, they may see how helpful it is to their mood. Whatever you do, try not to allow them to isolate themselves as that could only make matter worse. In addition to this, being too pushy may also not be a smart move as it could make them go deeper into their shell.
Brainstorm Solutions
Sometimes the only thing standing between your spouse and them feeling better is a practical solution to their problem. You could also help them develop a solution orientation by helping them be a little more optimistic, assisting them in focusing on and analyzing the problem, using creativity to come up with a solution and helping them develop the mind and attitude of a champion. By applying some of these tips, you should come up with at least one tangible solution to their problem. When doing this, try to let them do most of the brainstorming if they happen to be up to it. This is necessary so that they learn to make decisions and come to their conclusions on their own. It could also help them to put their situation into perspective and look at it more practically than emotionally eventually.
Your spouse should be one of the closest people to you, so they should also be able to count on you in their darkest moments. Everyone’s requirements are different when it comes to support, but some of the fundamentals as mentioned above are being both physically and emotionally present as well as being patient enough to weather the storm with them. By doing these things and throwing a little bit of love in the mix, they should come out on the brighter side of life in no time.
