Overcoming the Empty-Nest Syndrome

Many boomers go through the Empty-Nest Syndrome once their children have moved out and they find themselves all alone at home. No running around getting things together, no drop-offs and pick-ups from schools and no planning dinner menus anymore. Many boomers wait for this freedom while they are rushing through life with their kids and responsibilities. But, when it finally dawns on us, along with this free time comes the most awful feeling in the world, loneliness. This is when the Empty-Nest Syndrome comes into play.

What is Empty-Nest Syndrome?

This is a problem that many parents go through when their children leave home for the first time. It makes you feel sad and lonely, and you are unable to decide what to do with your life now that the children have left their nest. Most often, the symptoms of this syndrome go unnoticed. However, it is normal and pretty common for parents, especially full-time moms to have this problem. This is because, although you encouraged your children to become independent and go off into the world on their own when they actually do so, you are left with an empty feeling and feel that your purpose in life is no more. Empty-Nest Syndrome is common among women going through menopause and parents who have retirement looming around the corner. When this occurs, most parents fall into depression, alcoholism and many starts having marital problems. So, how do you prevent this from happening?

How to Cope with Empty-Nest Syndrome

How you cope with the situation is entirely up to you. You should accept your child’s leaving as something that is a natural part of life and is for your child’s best interests. Being an empty-nester does not mean the end of the world. There is a whole load of things you can finally do that you could not before. This is an excellent time for you to reconnect with your spouse, improve your marriage and fall in love all over again. If you are single, you can consider dating again. It is a good time for you to try new and exciting things. Why not consider sky-diving? Bungee jumping? You don’t have to answer to anyone anymore. Your time is yours. No more rushing back to fix dinner, no more worrying about car-pools, no more study dates to supervise. See? This can be the best time of your life. It all depends on, once again, how you handle the situation.

How to Prevent Empty-Nest Syndrome

Sometimes, no matter what you do, how much you prepare for it, the fact that your child/children have left home will only hit you once they are actually gone. However, you can minimize your feelings of loneliness and sadness by planning ahead for the inevitable. Preparing yourself for this when the nest is full is the best method of preventing Empty-Nest Syndrome. You can also consider support groups and talking about your feelings with friends and family. Knowing you are not alone can be extremely helpful.

One of the reasons many empty-nesters move to active adult communities is because they wish to avoid these feelings of loneliness and sadness. And, they are smart. Active adult communities are the last places where you will find sad and lonely people. These communities are full of vibrant, active, happy people who made the right choice by moving to these communities. If you are trying to prevent Empty-Nest Syndrome, why not consider a move to an active adult community? If you are interested in finding a great senior community for your new chapter in life, visit Active Adult Living.com® for details on over 8,500 such communities across the USA and Canada.