5 Ways to Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome

When much of your life has been defined as a parent, it’s hard to adjust to life without kids in the home. Parents who have a particularly difficult transition experience what’s known as “empty nest syndrome.”

Empty nest syndrome refers to the feelings of sadness and loss some parents experience when the last child leaves the family home. Although it isn’t an official clinical diagnosis, the problem is still very real.

Parents with empty nest syndrome experience a deep void in their lives. They often feel lost. They may also struggle to allow their adult children to have autonomy. Some couples experience higher levels of conflict when one or both partners have empty nest syndrome. This can compound feelings of loneliness and distress.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to address empty nest syndrome. If you’re struggling to deal with your children moving out of the home, these five strategies can help.

1

Identify Your Roles

Empty nest syndrome is a real problem.

Ariel Skelley/Getty Images

You’ve been a lot of things in your life—daughter or son, friend, employee, maybe aunt or uncle—but none may feel as important as the role of parent. Rest assured that you can still carry that label proudly; it just might not be at the forefront anymore.

Identify new roles you want to fill during this empty-nest phase of your life. Do you want to be a volunteer? A generous neighbor? An involved community member?

Now that you have more time on your hands, you have the opportunity to explore other activities that can give you meaning and purpose. Clarifying the roles you’d like to fill now that you’re an empty nester can ensure you feel valuable.

2

Reconnect With Your Partner

You might be totally focused on how your life is going to change after your child leaves, and in your mind, that might not be for the better. Remember those years before you had kids, though, when it was just the two of you? It’s time to make more memories as a twosome.

Travel without worrying about who’s going to stay with the kids. Plan date nights without thinking about a babysitter and cook whatever meals you want without considering if a picky eater is going to complain about it.

If many of your activities centered around going to kids' sporting events and school plays, it may take some effort to figure out what other activities you can enjoy together. But the extra planning will pay off.

3

Reconnect With Yourself

Did you have any hobbies that you gave up as parenting took over your life? An empty nest means that you have time to get back in touch with that side of you. With your kids’ stuff gone, there is now more space in your home to store the supplies you need to immerse yourself activities you love.

Perhaps you’d like to return to a hobby that you pushed aside when you became a parent. Or maybe there’s something you always wanted to try but you never had time. If you aren’t sure what you’d like to do, pick something and give it a try by taking a class or testing out a short-term project. If you find out it’s not for you, try something else. This is a great time to explore your interests.

4

Find New Challenges

Ease the sense of loss that you might feel about your child growing up by finding a new personal or professional challenge to tackle. Whether you’ve dreamed of running a road race or you always wanted to redesign a room in your home, now might be the best time to dive in.

You might even take on something even bigger, such as volunteering with a charity, which can help you find a place to direct your focus. However, avoid making any life-altering decisions in the first six months or so after your child moves out. Don’t sell your house or leave your job unless you’d had that planned far in advance.

The emotional roller coaster associated with empty nest syndrome can cloud your judgment. Making a big change while when you’re feeling emotional might prevent you from making your best decision.

5

Resist the Urge to Check In Too Much

If you obsessively monitor your child’s social media accounts, call every morning, and spend every minute worrying about how your child is doing in college or in their new place, you won’t be able to move on with your life. Coping with empty nest syndrome means letting go and letting your child grow into an independent adult.

Of course, you should certainly check in on your child’s well-being. But give your child some privacy—and the space to make a few mistakes. It's healthier for both of you.

A Word From Verywell

No matter what you do to shift your focus from your empty nest, it won’t change initial feelings of sadness. You need to grieve what you’ve lost. One phase of your life is over. Your children are no longer living at home and time has likely passed by faster than you ever imagined.

Coming to terms with this new phase in your life can be tough. But most parents find they’re able to adjust to their new roles and they develop a new sense of normal. If you find that empty nest syndrome is getting worse, instead of better, or it doesn’t resolve within a couple of months, talk to a mental health professional. Your feelings of loneliness or emptiness may require treatment.

2 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Bouchard G. How do parents react when their children leave home? An integrative reviewJ Adult Dev. 2014;21(2):69-79. doi:10.1007/s10804-013-9180-8

  2. Mitchell B, Lovegreen L. The empty nest syndrome in midlife families: A multimethod exploration of parental gender differences and cultural dynamicsJ Fam Issues. 2009;30(12):1651-1670. doi:10.1177/0192513X09339020

By Amy Morin, LCSW
Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.