With the start of a new academic year not far away, you might be preparing to send your child off to university or on a gap year adventure.
While this could be an exciting time for your family, it may also feel like a significant life transition, especially if you’re saying farewell to your youngest child.
After years of living in a busy, noisy household, you might need to adapt to a different home environment. This could mean living alone for the first time in many years or sharing your home with only your partner.
If you feel anxious or uncertain about this change, you might be experiencing “empty nest syndrome”. Keep reading to learn more about this challenging emotional phase and find out how you could learn to embrace this new chapter of your life.
8 signs you or your partner are experiencing empty nest syndrome
Empty nest syndrome is a feeling of grief that parents may feel when their children grow up and leave home.
There are some common signs that you or your partner may be experiencing this, including:
1. Anxiety
2. Loneliness
3. Restlessness
4. Loss of purpose
5. Emotional distress
6. Sadness or depression
7. Marital tensions and disagreements
8. Persistent worrying about your child’s safety.
Spotting the signs is a crucial first step towards overcoming this difficult emotional experience and adapting to a new phase of life.
Helpful tips for adapting to life after your last child leaves home
If you think you or your partner is suffering from empty nest syndrome, here are a few strategies that could help you feel more positive about the future.
Prioritise self-care
As a parent, you’ve probably spent many years prioritising your children’s needs. Now you have the freedom to focus on yourself.
So, rather than seeing your child’s absence as a loss, try to see it as an opportunity for self-care.
This might mean long soaks in the bath, a spa day, or simply enjoying the peace and quiet with a book.
Emotional distress can take a toll on your physical and mental wellbeing. So, make the most of not having children to cook for, clean up after, or chauffeur around, and indulge in whatever your mind and body needs.
Set new personal goals
If you feel that you’ve lost your sense of purpose now that your children have moved on, identifying personal goals and challenges could give you a new direction.
Think about all the things you’d have loved to do – but couldn’t – before your home became an adults-only space.
For example, you might want to make use of your extra free time to train towards a fitness goal. Or perhaps you’ve always fancied setting up a business?
Whatever your dreams are, jot them down. Letting your mind run through the opportunities and possibilities this stage of your life presents could help you feel excited about the future.
Strengthen relationships with friends and family
A common symptom of empty nest syndrome is loneliness. Building a strong social network could help you combat such feelings.
This might mean reconnecting with people you struggled to find time for when your children lived at home, or making new friendships – or both.
Explore your local area and see if there are any clubs or groups you’d like to join. You may be able to revive an old hobby or start a new one while meeting people in a fun, social setting. If you feel lonely in your home, try signing up for online groups and communities where you can chat to people with similar interests and challenges.
You and your partner may also enter a new phase of your relationship during this transition period. Being able to spend more child-free time together might allow you to connect in a different way. This could strengthen your partnership and help you feel positive about your new lifestyle.
Review your finances
When your children leave home, you’re likely to see the cost of essential outgoings, such as food and water, reduce.
Even if you’re continuing to support your children financially, they’re likely to become increasingly independent over time.
As such, you may find that you have more disposable income each month.
A financial planner can help you make the most of this extra wealth to progress towards your goals, be they to save for a dream holiday, bolster your retirement fund, or invest in your children’s future.
Get in touch
If you’d like help reviewing your finances after your youngest child flies the nest, we can help.
Please get in touch by emailing info@lloydosullivan.co.uk or call 020 8941 9779 to see how we can assist you.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.
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