31 Things To Do When You Are In A Deployment Funk

There comes a time in everyone’s deployment when you just hit a funk. Homecoming seems too far away, there is nothing to look forward to, you are stuck and not sure how you are going to make it through the next few months. You wake up sad, you go to bed sad, how to break out of this? Here are some ideas…

1.Plan something with some friends- Plan a night out or a lunch or something you can put on your calendar. Make plans. Let your friends know you want to make more plans now that your spouse is gone.

2. Start a best-selling, can’t put it down book- You will enjoy yourself and get lost in the characters.

3. Find a new tv series to lose yourself in- Like books, if you start a new series, you can have something to watch to get your mind off of the deployment, at least for a little while. Binge watching was made for deployments.

4. Make some weight loss goals- Want to work on you? Make some new weight loss goals. Losing weight was always easier for me when my husband was gone. A great time to work on myself.

5. Learn how to cook a new meal- A deployment can be a good time to learn new skills. Learning how to cook a new meal means you will expand what you can make. You can also do this with friends.

6. Sign up for a fun class- See what is available on post or in your community. A lot of places have classes you can take on anything from how to do your taxes to how to decorate a cake. This is also a great way to make some new friends. You can sign up for a one-time class or an on-going one.

7. Go on a USO or MWR trip- Depending on where you are stationed you might have some great opportunities you can take advantage of. In Germany, there were a lot of USO tours we could go on. Here in the states, MWR seems to have certain day trips you can sign up for too.

8. Plan a trip home- If things get really hard, plan a trip back home. Maybe just for a weekend. Doing so will give you something to look forward to.

9. Start a book- Have you ever had an idea for a book going on in your head? Want to get started? Maybe you just want to write about the deployment. Get started on something. NaNoWriMo is coming up in November and can be a great way to get started.

10. Take up a new skill, like photography- Learning a new skill is a great way to get out of your deployment funk. You can go back to an older hobby or try something new. Look online and at your local library to get started.

11. Commit to writing in a journal- I love writing in a journal. Doing so can be a helpful way to get all of your feelings out on paper. Get in the habit of writing in yours every day.

12. Work on a fun care package- Is there a holiday coming up? Plan a themed care package and send to your spouse. Have fun with the care package and send some treats.

13. Talk to a good friend- Get together with a friend or call one. Talk about life. If you need to vent with them, it can make you feel better.

14. Volunteer for something new- Try to sign up to volunteer somewhere. Either on post or in your civilian community. There are a lot of opportunities out there.

15. Write poetry- Some people find writing poetry about your situation very helpful and soothing.

16. Move your furniture around- Sometimes changing things around in your home can help you break out of that deployment funk. Just don’t hurt your back in the process.

17. Go on a walk- Walks are good for you. Not only can they help you with your weight loss goals but they can be a great way to get out of your house and clear your head.

18. Meet someone for coffee- Meeting someone for coffee is an affordable way to connect with others. You don’t have to spend more than $5 and meeting someone regularly can be a great way to help with your deployment funk.

19. Listen to music- Create a deployment playlist. Put songs on there that make you feel good and make you feel strong. Listen to the playlist whenever you start to feel down.

20. Call your mom- If you have a good relationship with your mom, give her a call. She might not totally understand what you are going through unless she herself was a military spouse but she can be an encouraging listening ear.

21. Plan your after deployment trip- Talk to your spouse about an after deployment trip. Then you can start to plan it.

22. Buy a new outfit- Go shopping and buy something new. Remember to stick within your budget.

23. Buy your homecoming outfit- If you know about when homecoming will be, start shopping for your homecoming outfit. This can be a great way to get excited about the end of the deployment.

24. Take your kids out somewhere fun that you have never been before- Plan a day trip or even go somewhere for a few hours. Explore and have fun. If you are on a tight budget, visit a new park or hiking trail.

25. Attend a local event- Check both on post and off to see what is going on in your local community. Fill up your calendar. This will help with the feeling that you have nothing to look forward to.

26. Buy new stationary and write a long old-fashioned letter to your husband- These days most of us are all about Skype or email. Buy some new stationery and start writing letters to your spouse overseas.

27. Start a regular meetup group- If you know a group of other spouses and friends that want to do this, start making plans. You could plan to meet up at a park every Saturday morning or start a book club that meets once a month.

28. Get professional photos done of you or you and the kids, send to your spouse- This can be a great thing to send to your spouse and they will love the photos.

29. Research your next duty station- If you know you are PCSing soon after the deployment, start researching your next duty station. There is a lot of information out there online and you can get started with your planning.

30. Plan a Space-A trip- Space-A can be a great way to see some of the US or World that you haven’t seen. You do need to plan a Space-A trip. There is a lot more to it than just showing up the day you want to fly.

31. Remember, you are not alone- There are a lot of other military spouses going through the deployment funk too. Find other spouses who get it either in person or online (You can join my Facebook group if you are looking for that extra level of support.)

What do you do to get out of a deployment funk?