5 Ways I Support My Husband as an Essential Worker

Since the beginning of the pandemic, uncertainty has filled the air in our home. This is due to the fact that my husband is an essential worker. All essential workers have had a drastic change occur in the nature of their careers. My husband has had a difficult year since the sudden arrival of COVID-19. He has had to leave home to go out into uncertain conditions as an employee of a major grocery store company. The pandemic has caused increased pressure in his career to cater to the needs of frantic consumers. For the past 9 months he has had to work anywhere between 8-10 hours all while ensuring he does not contract the virus. In addition, there is the stress making sure he does not bring it back home to the boys and I.

The instensified load on my husband as an essential worker has increased my worry. Yet, I know that my husband’s job is necessary in these times and he also has to work for the sake of our home. I have personally seen the way the load affects my husband. It has affected him emotionally, physically, and mentally. This has presented me with the duty as his wife to support in all the changes he has faced. This year has required me to lift my husband up as an essential workers.

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My List of The 5 Ways I Help My Husband as an Essential Worker

1. Prayer – Prior to Covid-19, I was praying for my husband on a consistent basis. Since concerns of Covid-19 on my husband’s job, I have increased the amount of times I pray for my husband. Now I pray at least five times a day. The presence of the virus has caused an increase in the stress on his job, the number of hours he has worked, and a dramatic change in safety precautions. I pray that he does not come into contact with anyone who has the virus because of course he never knows who has it. My most fierce prayer is that as an essential worker, he is able to handle the physical and mental demands of his career. Praying brings me comfort that he will remain safe.

2. Be His Sound Board – My husband’s career as an essential worker takes a toll on him mentally. To be the one who he vents to, allows him to clear his head about the uncertain days he has. What he shares with me helps him release a ton of weight off of his mind. I know how demanding his career is and I feel honored to be able to be the one he can talk to. If he ever communicates a situation that has him perturbed, I offer a viewpoint of a way to lessen that worry. I don’t want him to walk into work with baggage from a previous day.

3. Check In – I am intentional about calling my husband at work. I make random calls throughout his shift to just let him know that I am thinking of him. He appreciates this small gesture from me because the days are usually hectic for him. I make sure to say something to him that will make him laugh just to lighten his mood for a few minutes. Sometimes, I even show up by surprise with our boys Cedric and Alexander. The look on his face lets me know he needed to see people who loved him dearly. It gives him the push he needs to finish out the day strong!

4. Schedule Quality Time – My husband has a schedule that changes every week. Under these circumstances, I make sure my kids are in the bed between 9pm and 10p.m.( Yes we do a later bedtime over here. It works for us but I do want to aim for an earlier bedtime at the start of the new year.) Once our boys are sound asleep, we are intentional about spending necessary quality time with one another. We can end up staying up for hours on the days and evenings he is off of work! This pandemic has caused us to get creative with the ways we spend quality time together.

5. Pamper Him – I know my husband stands on his feet for extended periods of time. That can be anywhere from 8 to 12 hours a day. I try to pamper just a little bit with a foot spa I bought him. As soon as he gets home, I have been ensuring that I have his warm soak when he gets home. He truly adores it because he has been falling asleep within the first 10 minutes. He used to do the same thing for me after I got home from work when I was pregnant with Alex. It seems like a small thing but the gesture goes a long way.

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I hope the spouses/partner of other essential workers find this list to be helpful. As the days progress towards a new year, the pandemic is still ongoing and we should support our spouses even more. The stay-at-home orders are starting to be put back in place. Precautions have intensified as cases are rising daily. With such news, I can only imagine how the stress levels of essential workers has grown on their jobs. What I do know is that as the conditions around this pandemic change, we all have to make safe changes as we respond to it for the unforeseeable future.

I say a prayer for all the essential workers in the midst of the pandemic. It is with every fiber in my being that I pray God keeps them all covered in the blood of Jesus. As they work, the conditions they are in are full of uncertainty. I pray that all their families, loved ones, and friends find time in their day to show their support. Our essential workers are fighting to care for the community as they work to keep themselves safe as well. May this prayer touch them all.