It’s been a long 36 years since you first got that pregnancy test results back in the early 80s. You watched your child grow and blossom, TCBY’s come and go, grunge music, and then they finally turned 18 and graduated high school. That was gonna be it, time to take your life and home back, or so you thought. College came and went, along with relationships, but they just seemed to stay around. Then the crash of 2008 happened and you thought this was it, they will be home for life. All of theirs, or the rest of yours.
That was ok though, you almost took some comfort in it. No shame in the game, all of your friends still have their middle-aged kids at home too. It’s like a whole new culture thing and you got pulled in to it. Then as quickly as it the situation evolved, times turned in America. Jobs and money are flowing like the 50s and the stock market is doing incredible things with everyone’s money. Just like that, your precious 35-year-old couch potato is employed, buying a house and a car, and moving out to start his life. They are gone now.
Meals for two again, quiet, serene peace. It’s almost frightening. Time seems to be fast forwarding and days melting together, all the while nothing feels like it’s being accomplished. Am I getting close on this one? Are you suffering from an unanticipated empty nest long after it should have been emptied? So now what? I’m glad you asked that, let’s talk about what is next.
Do I have Empty Nest Syndrome?
Depression, alcoholism, identity crisis and marital conflicts can all stem from the unexpected sense of loneliness you will feel with an empty nest. There is no real reason this has to become you, you can use this empty nest to solve and alleviate family and work-related conflicts. This will, in turn, improve the quality of your life. Once a child leaves the home, finally, leaves the home, parents can find the chance to reconnect with each other.
Take the time to quiet your mind and rekindle those long lost interest you once had. This will offset the loneliness and avoid you falling into the empty nest syndrome.
Yoga
By the year 2050, the senior population will expect to double. Medicine is getting pretty scientific. It is great for keeping us alive. That’s not quite good enough, I want to get old without the pain. My dream is to give my body back to the earth without the complaints. That’s where Yoga comes in. We all need to get into some Yoga stretching. Yoga classes for seniors include poses in forward bends and twists that protect the fragile bone system. There are classes designed, supported and taught with seniors in mind. The benefits include pain management, balance, spirituality, and graceful aging.
Take the best of modern, evidence-based medicine matched with the ancient wisdom, experience, and tradition. Yoga teachings for seniors can vastly improve your quality of life. Seniors come across a lot of issues that yoga can help, including reducing high blood pressure, easing back pain, enhancing sleep, as well as greatly improving your mood. I can’t stress enough how much Yoga will help improve your aging process as well as help you cope with your newly found empty nest.
Find a Challenge
There is one constant in all life advice. Its challenges and victories. It is a universal theme that can combat whatever is going on in your head. Stop the deconstructive behavior, challenges yourself, and bask in the mini victories. This will inevitably change your perspective and get you over any tumultuous issues in your life. Empty nest syndrome is no different. It is simple. First set out to ease the sense of loss and loneliness by taking on a new and unrelated challenge. Have fun with it, do something you have always wanted to but never could justify. Whether you’ve dreamed of completing a marathon, finish your degree, or remodel your bathroom, today is your day to jump in.
You can even get really crazy with it, like volunteering with habitat for humanity build or spend time with sick kids. This will help you focus all that parenting wisdom to someone that could really use it. Set yourself up to achieve what I like to call mini victories, give a sick kid a smile and a toy, your first yoga class, install a new sink, a weekend getaway or an afternoon on a job site for charity. These will all give you these mini victories. String a few together and like magic, you will find yourself transforming into the you that you had had always thought you were.