This Fall, many women will become “empty nesters,” an expression that typically refers to women whose children leave home, allowing their parents to enter a new phase in their lives. However, an empty nester can also be a mother who stayed home to take care of her children but, now that they’re all in school, is wondering what to do with herself.
Many women, in fact suffer from a condition called empty-nest syndrome and experience feelings of sadness, loss and confusion. Those most at risk for empty nest syndrome are women who were full-time parents, who find change difficult, or who are also struggling with aging parents and perhaps going through retirement. If such feelings apply to you, it can help to realize that this transition period is really no different than when you went off to college, started a career, married, or had children.
Some sadness is very natural when children leave home. However if your symptoms are excessive-you feel your meaning and usefulness in life is gone, you’re crying excessively, or you start to withdraw from friends and family-then you may be entering serious depression, a condition that requires immediate attention. In such cases it’s wise to seek professional counseling immediately to get the help you need.
Some women see this period as an opportunity to rediscover who they are and make new choices in life that they either couldn’t or wouldn’t do while their children were at home. They view it as a fresh start, when they change their focus from being a parent to being a spouse, career person, or simply a good friend.
This is also a good time to have a career or life coach do some self-exploration with you so you can determine where you want to go next. A coach will work with you in a setting up a plan that helps you begin to identify yourself as someone other than a “Mom” and find out your unique and special talents and where you can use them. This process will help you build any self confidence you may have lost and plan for this new found freedom.
A good place to start is with your relationships. If you have friends who have already gone through this transition, reconnect with them and find out how they managed. They can be a wonderful source of ideas and support. Get back together with old friends, as well, because they may be at the same point in life and need the connection as much as you. Start this process at least a few months before the children leave.
This is also a great time to learn new skills by taking classes. Perhaps you want to update your computer skills or renew old licensure. You may want to reconnect with someone in a field you once worked in or move on something new.
Whether or not you worked outside the home or are getting ready to re enter the workforce, you may have done volunteer work. If you enjoyed volunteering, this is the perfect time to see if those skills could lead to a paying job. It also may be a time to try a new volunteer position, to see if a difference direction might be the path you want to follow.
The most important thing is to not rush to the next thing simply to fill a void. You need to take time and consider working with a coach who can help you make the best decisions on what you want to do. Making a rash decision and choosing the wrong path will waste time and money and can cause enormous frustration.
School may be an option, but don’t go back for the wrong reasons. Don’t assume that a master’s degree automatically produces a higher salary. In some professions and markets it may work against you and make you less competitive for a job. Solid industry experience is often the equivalent of a graduate degree and will increase your chances of getting into the field. Going back to school is also not a way to avoid doing a job search. The work experience may well exceed the time and money you spend at school. This is not to dissuade you from attending school for a particular skill in a career you have researched and chosen; it’s a reminder to take adequate time to explore where you want to go and what is the best way of getting there.
Now is the time to plan for this exciting transition, and it’s the ideal time to contact a coach who can help assure that the next phase of your life will be a fulfilling one. The sooner you start planning for this stage of your life, the fast you will adapt to your changing circumstances and embrace and make the most of them.
Remember: many women have faced this crossroads and found that it can be a time of discovery, empowerment and joy.