What is Empty Nest Syndrome and Do I Have It?

Your children have all grown up and moved on and now you have to adjust to a very different household than the one you are used to. This can come with a mixture of emotions but you should always be proud that you have done a good job and now it is time to think about yourself and how empty nest syndrome might be affecting your life.

This is your time and what you choose to do now will set you up for the rest of your life or not . . .

What Are the Symptoms of Empty Nest Syndrome?

Empty nesters can experience some or all of these symptoms:

Loneliness
Grief
Relief
Fear
Worry
Anxiety
depression and emotional distress.

Sometimes you will also feel as if you have ‘lost’ your purpose in life. Don’t worry – you will find it again!

Breathe deeply and be gentle to yourself. Just because you feel lost now doesn’t mean that you will be lost forever. Take the time to find your footing in this new world full of new experiences.

You may experience other symptoms too.

The most important thing is not to try and soldier on by yourself like nothing is happening.

How Do I Overcome Empty Nest Syndrome?

Empty nest is a type of transition and trying to suppress it or pretend it doesn’t exist is not going to help you or anyone else. It is okay for you to express your feelings about your situation and how these changes have affected you. Allow yourself time to process and think about what you can do with this transition.

What really lights up your life, that you can work towards now that you are an empty nester?

Start a New Chapter of Your Life

When you feel ready to move forward, now is the perfect time to discover a new path to take going forward. Think about what you want your life to look like in the future – how far in the future is up to you, but what would you really like to do with yourself? You are full of dreams and now is the time to work towards making them a reality.