As a pro sports wife you know how limited time with your athlete husband can be. Quality time can seem nonexistent during the sports season. The holidays can be especially difficult because it is a time for family togetherness and your athlete is away on the road. Although holidays may be full of fine festivities, chef-prepared foods, and expensive gifts, there is nothing like getting quality time with your athlete when he’s home.
The Dating Coach Answers: The Invite Home for the Holidays
Many people visit relatives or go home for at least one of the major holidays. If you’re single, you may feel the pressure and expectation from your parents or family to have a significant other and invite them with you to family holiday events. Nothing is worse each year than to have aunts, uncles, cousins, or parents asking if you are dating anyone or when you are going to get serious about someone.
The Dating Coach Answers: How Do I Date During the Holidays?
Maybe you’ve just met someone who seems very promising. Or maybe you’ve been casually dating a new love interest for a few weeks or months. The holiday season approaches and you wonder where the “relationship” stands. This time of the year naturally brings some pressure and expectations with it. You would love to be in a comfortable dating relationship where you know what to expect between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, but, unfortunately, you’re not quite there yet. What to do?
Pro Sports Wives: Creating Home for the Holidays
As a former pro sports wife myself, I recall the times when I was away from home for the holidays traveling with my husband abroad. I remember feeling isolated, lonely and very much missing my family members and our family holiday traditions. I remember the importance of embracing relationships with other pro sports wives for a sense of connection and community. Whether you’re temporarily located overseas or even in a new U.S. city, I believe the things I learned from my own experiences can help you.
Pro Sports Wives: Keeping the Connection when Your Husband’s on the Road
If you have a pro athlete husband, you know it can be very difficult to keep the connection while he is on the road when his sport is in season. This time is usually extremely stressful for pro sports wives. It can be difficult to multi-task all of your responsibilities of being a full time mom and dad. It can be a time of insecurity, frustration, and unrealistic expectations to be a super woman in the absence of your husband’s presence and support. The truth is absence does not always make the heart grow fonder; it can be a harsh time of separation and marital conflict.
Athletic Teams as Families
When tragedy happens, we all react differently. Some become vocal; some become silent; others need a hug or a listening ear. Athletic teams are no different than a traditional family unit. The individuals may cope in various ways, but the team has a choice of leaning on each other or going separate ways.
Be Angry Less Often: Measuring Your Anger
If you struggle with anger, taking the time to measure your angry outbursts can be a helpful tool. Anger has such a negative reputation because of the way people react when this emotion surfaces. I often tell clients that anger is a signal that flashes across our lives to indicate that something is happening which may be very important in that one moment in time.
Challenge Your Pattern: Aggressive Behavior
Aggressive behavior is a style of expressing one’s feelings and needs in a way that violates the rights of others. This pattern of behavior will often generate fear in others and alienate them from the aggressor. An individual with a pattern of aggressive behavior will blame others instead of taking accountability for their actions.
Challenge Your Pattern: Passive Communication
Passive communication is a style where one has developed a pattern of avoiding expressing their opinions and/or feelings. They often avoid protecting their rights, and identifying and meeting their needs. People who tend to develop passive ways of communicating usually suffer from low self-esteem and feel “I’m not worth it.” This style of communicating can also lead to feelings of anxiety, helplessness, depression and anger.
Story & Identity: What We Can Learn From Miley Cyrus
We are all telling a story with our lives. Many times it’s hard for us to see what kind of story we are telling. We can feel a sense of meaninglessness. We might ask questions like, “What does my life really add up to?” Or, “Do people notice me?” Other times we might feel keenly aware of who we are, what we believe, and where we are headed in life.