6 Steps to Soar in The Empty Nest

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Summer is winding down and for many families, the kids are headed back to school. For some of you, this is not your normal “back to school,” but also the beginning of your Empty Nest as you take your youngest to college. You’ve thought about it for years, maybe even dreaded it, and now reality hits. Your main focus in life has changed, and you have a hollow feeling—Now what? I know just how you feel. I experienced that same feeling of loss, but quickly emerged in eager anticipation of what I could create to fill my time, and life has never been any better for me than it is now. Make this a time for new beginnings, a time to take care of YOUR needs for a change. Follow these steps and embrace the opportunities that being an Empty Nester bring.

1. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. As a mother, your biggest job was to raise your children to be responsible young adults with strong values and self-confidence. You have watched your babies grow into adults, and now they are on their own. Good job, Mom! No one could have done your job like you. Celebrate your own accomplishment knowing that your children really do appreciate you, whether they acknowledge it now or not! The older they get, the more they will appreciate all you have taught them.

2. Let go. Your young adult is looking forward to independence, to exploring the world and living on his own. Don’t smother him! My daughter had a friend in college whose mother called her several times a day. That poor girl was saddled with her mother’s needs for years! Know that you have taught your child well, and there is no need for you to check in daily. Stepping back will allow him to grow, and when your help is needed, he will ask!

3. Focus on YOU now! Women are naturally givers, always putting others first while depleting their own physical, emotional and spiritual selves. Now is the prime time to replenish your body and soul, so take some time to relax and rejuvenate yourself. Have a spa day, go on a girlfriend getaway, do something fun! You deserve it! And make it a regular thing, knowing that when you fill your own cup first, you will have more energy and joy to do the things you love while serving others.

4. Rekindle the romance. Chances are you have been so busy raising your children that your love life has been put on the back burner. Make a concerted effort to get to know your husband or significant other all over again. Have regular date nights, plan weekend trips and enjoy the peace and quiet around the house. Sometime after we became “home alone,” my husband and I took a trip to Italy. It was the first time we had been on a vacation by ourselves in 27 years! What a great time it was for us to let go and have fun, to get reacquainted. Get away for even a couple of days with no TV, computers or phones, and re-live the time when you first met. Now that you can give him your full attention without interruptions, your relationship can flourish.

5. Cultivate new friendships. For most of us, the friends we have had over the years have been the parents of our children’s friends. Suddenly we realize that we really don’t have much in common with them, and we all drift apart. That is very common, so don’t worry! Now is the time for you to choose new friends to spend time with, women who share your interests and who energize you. Regard your “old friends” as treasured acquaintances, and look forward to cultivating new relationships. Look around for groups that focus on your interests, filled with women who are interesting and fun, and enjoy the opportunity to surround yourself with new girlfriends.

6. Reinvent yourself! Go forward from this day in eager anticipation of what your future holds. Allow yourself to “dream big and step out on faith” as I often say, and set some new goals for yourself that will stretch you and make you grow. You have been a nurse, chef, mediator, accountant, chauffeur, housekeeper, volunteer, counselor, master teacher, and many other things over the years. You can do anything you set your mind to! Is there something you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the chance? Now is the time! Are you ready for a career change, or even for a chance to start your own business? Go for it! There has never been a better time to follow your own dreams and desires, so begin visioning a new-and-improved you. Let those who love and support you be YOUR cheerleader for a change. Live with purpose and excitement as your turn your “empty nest” into a rich and fulfilling time to spread your own wings and fly.

If you are ready to take action to begin soaring out of your own empty nest, join me for a Reinvention Road Trip! This program is the heart and soul of my own reinvention as an over-50 empty nester, and I wrote this step-by-step process to help you rediscover you and plan a future that is filled with purpose and joy. It’s YOUR time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do! The Reinvention Road Trip will inspire and equip you to do just that. To find out more, go to reinventionroadtrip.com.

Susan Tolles is a Certified Christian Life Purpose Coach and the founder of flourishover50.com.