Action #2: Support her behind the scenes.
Whether it’s an athletic goal, a business launch, a return to school, or just the day-to-day routine, your wife can’t do it alone. She may feel like she’s supposed to be able to do it all, but none of us are built for that.
A huge part of cheering her on is to provide the tangible support she needs with whatever needs to get done. You may already do the yard work and house maintenance, and think you’re equally sharing the load. And I’ve interviewed and surveyed enough men to know that most of you want to equally share the load. You want to be the rock your wife can lean on.
But it’s also possible that you have no idea how many hours she puts in that you’re not aware of. Ask her about that. If she is just as busy as you, or more, consider what you can take off her plate.
Not only does this help her reach her goals, but it allows her to do so with her mental, physical, and spiritual health intact. Recent research from Gallup found that more than six in ten U.S. women say it’s hard to make their health a top priority. More than half say that their biggest barriers are:
- feeling overwhelmed
- caring for family members
- lack of time
Take a careful look at that list, guys. More than half of women are struggling with those things. How about your wife? If you have kids, think of ways to entertain them or take them out of the house so your wife has focused time to work (or catch her breath). Consider ways you can restructure your family schedule to better support your wife’s dreams and support a rhythm of rest.
If you’re not sure what would be helpful, simply ask her what she needs.
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