By the time we reach a little beyond middle age in our lives, chances are all of our kids have grown up and gotten out of the house, and this means that the feeling of having an empty nest may settle in and make you emotional. It is incredibly emotional to watch your children who you loved and nurtured from infancy grow up and leave the house to begin their own independent lives.
The initial shock and pain of our kids leaving the house for the first time will heal relatively fast, but those emotions change and you quickly become used to not having them in your house every day. What replaces those raw emotions is possibly even more confusing, and scary in a way: you start getting feelings of not knowing what to do with yourself. You may not know what the meaning of your life is, and the prospect of reinventing yourself and finding new meaning can be daunting and scary.
The decisions you make now as to how you will respond to these feelings will set the tone for how the rest of your life will go. So, it is incredibly important to take time for yourself so as to ensure that your years now and later on in life are filled with joy, health, happiness, and things that make you feel completely whole within yourself and not dependent on others for that happiness. The first step to living a new full life is to find what is important to you and pursue it without any hesitation. Think through some passions that you may have had for a long time but never pursued while your kids were young and go after them. Find a group of people who make you happy and you enjoy being around and make an effort to make plans with them often! Look for ways in which you can contribute to the world so as to make it better. These and other questions are things you should consider when you begin to look at how you want your life to shape up.
If you are unsure as to where to start, you can start by using some of the following suggestions:
1.) Start Exercising And Getting In Shape Again
Everyone talks about investing in your financial future or investing in fun things to do once your kids leave, but what is not heard of as often is people telling you to invest in your own body. One of the best things you can do for yourself as you age is investing in your health and get into shape. It will help soften the aging process, boost your self-esteem, and give you more energy to chase those other passions you are going to pursue. Getting in shape at this age can make you happier overall, and even help keep your brain functioning well as you age! Some things you can do for your physical health walk, do yoga, learn how to swim in indoor and outdoor pools and maybe buy one for yourself from custom pools Montgomery, find a walking or hiking club and get a social aspect out of it as well. What matters is that you sit less and move more.
2.) Find Your Passions And Pursue Them
When you have a family, it can be difficult to focus on your passions and chase after them. After your kids leave, you can finally find time to explore those passions and see where it takes you!
3.) Find New Ways To Be Needed
Parents love watching their kids gain their independence and live their own lives, but not being needed by them can still be hard at times. So, look for ways that you can be needed. Volunteer in your city to help people, read to kids at a school, or start a helpful blog for people to read.
The transition going from having kids in the house to being empty nesters can be a hard one, but it can also be the start to a new life all about making yourself better. Make the most of this time and invest in yourself!
