Are You Experiencing Empty Nest Syndrome?

Nov 23, 2018 by apost team

As parents, you’re told to be highly involved in the lives of your children as they grow up, giving them the time, love, prioritization, and attention they need to eventually become productive, independent members of society.

But, where’s the line between a child being a priority and becoming a parent’s entire life? The term “empty nest syndrome” may sound the makings of a wive’s tale, but it’s actually quite a common phenomenon experienced by everyday parents.

Understand what empty nest syndrome is, why it happens, and the coping mechanisms you can use to overcome it.

What Is Empty Nest Syndrome?

There’s an imbalance in parenting. On one hand, we are expected to raise children to become independent, productive adults and eventually say goodbye to our caregiver role. On the other hand, we are expected to hold their hands as they learn and make them one of life’s top priorities. The result is many parents feeling overwhelming emotional loss when their child let’s go of their hand to leaves the safety of the nest.

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Empty nest syndrome isn’t a clinical diagnosis - it does, however, have the potential to show some major depressive symptoms 

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 During this transition period, parents can exhibit a range of emotional responses. A study conducted by the Xiangya School of Public Health in Liuyang, China (October 2017) showed that parents who had recently said goodbye to their last child living at home showed they were significantly more prone to symptoms of depression and loneliness when compared to individuals who were not experiencing an empty nest. 

According to Psychology Today, these are some signs you might be suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome (and should probably seek out professional help to find a way to cope):

  • Loss of purpose
  • Loss of meaning of life
  • Loneliness
  • Sadness
  • Grief
  • Depression
  • No longer wanting to see friends or people at work.

Do You Have Empty Nest Syndrome?

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Empty nest syndrome was once thought to be something that mainly affected mothers. The University of Texas at Austin, BYU, and Penn State worked together on a study that showed parents of both sexes often go through a transitional period of worrying themselves out of sleep once their children left home.

Why worry? The researchers found that participants worried about their children being out in the world alone, but they also found that the reasoning behind empty nest syndrome was that the parents had been entirely too involved in the lives of their children.

What Can You Do If You Have Empty Nest Syndrome?

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The first thing you should realize is that these feelings of sadness and loss are normal. There’s nothing wrong with how you parented or you as a parent now. It’s natural to feel loss and worry when something you’ve had every single day for years suddenly isn’t there every day.

You’ve done a fine job at raising your child to become independent, but that doesn’t mean letting go will be easy.

The second thing you should realize is that there are ways to help ease your way through this transitional period. It will require you to view the situation as an opportunity, not a loss. You now have an opportunity to reconnect with all the things and people you put on the back burner to parenting.

It will also require you to realize that you need healthy and productive ways to cope with the stress you’re feeling so that you don’t do harm to your immune system and general mental and physical well-being.

Here are some ways you can cope with empty nest syndrome, cope with the stress of it, and prevent it from becoming an overwhelming presence in your life:

  1. Start exercising daily - go for walks or runs, swim, join a class.
  2. Eat a well-balanced diet high in antioxidants.
  3. Think of the positives, not negatives, in all the time you now have on your hands.
  4. Use that positive time to rekindle relationships and passions and build new relationships and passions.
  5. Journal your thoughts daily.
  6. Don’t suffer alone; whether a professional, friend, or family member, speak to someone when you’re struggling.
  7. Rebuild your career or find ways to volunteer your time in a meaningful way.

Don’t forget that coping isn’t just finding ways to busy yourself. It’s about finding meaningful, useful, and fulfilling ways to redirect your time and efforts so that your life stays full of purpose and focus.

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Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!