Wellness Checks for the Military-Affiliated Woman

Military-affiliated women often carry unique responsibilities – service, leadership, relocation, caregiving, resilience, and constant transition. Your wellness matters, whether you are active duty, a veteran, a reservist or guard, spouse, surviving spouse, caregiver, or support a loved one in uniform.

May is a perfect time to focus on the whole woman.

Five Areas of Wellness to Prioritize this Month:

Physical Wellness.

Schedule that appointment you’ve been putting off. Take a walk. Commit to stretching daily. HYDRATE! REST! Strength begins with taking care of your body.

Emotional Wellness. Give yourself permission to seek support from those you trust or a professional, and don’t undervalue the importance of quiet time and community. Military life is full of transitions, separations, uncertainty…all of which can contribute to stress.

Financial Wellbeing. Review your financial goals. Check on your benefits, insurances, and savings. Between moves, retirement or separation transitions, and family obligations, financial wellbeing is an important area for your focus.

Social Wellness. It is easy to fall into a pattern of isolation in a military-connected life. Be sure to connect with friends and family, veteran networks and women’s organizations that understand your journey.

Identity Wellness. Often this is attributed to caregivers, but everyone is more than their title or rank, or role. Be sure you take time to focus on and nourish that core that makes you YOU.

These are suggestions for your personal wellness check in May. While you are at it, look around. You may give yourself a good rating on personal wellness, but be sure you aren’t overlooking when your friends or loved ones might need a boost to help them with what they are going through.

Be well sisters!

Barbara J. Bozeman, MSgt USAF (Ret)