What Is Empty Nest Syndrome?

We get it: For the past couple of decades or so, your life has revolved around your children: you’ve changed their diapers, helped them with their homework, grounded them when they worried you sick after coming home late one night—and now they’re moving out, and you’re starting to feel anxious and depressed.

There’s a good chance you might be experiencing the onset of empty nest syndrome. While this emotionally challenging transition, replete with plenty of loneliness, is common to a lot of parents, especially women, not everyone experiences it.

In this article, we’ll be exploring the many empty nest syndrome symptoms as well as learning how to cope with it, because even though this syndrome can lead to a trying time, there are plenty of healthy ways to handle it.

Empty Nest Syndrome Definition

So, now that we’ve set the stage, just what is empty nest syndrome? It can best be defined as the emotional impact a parent experiences when their child—typically the last one—leaves home, resulting in a sense that the nest has emptied.

While the effects can be relatively mild, with only slight feelings of grief and loneliess, more severe empty nest syndrome symptoms can also occur, and in these cases, professional help can prove to be exceedingly effective.

Who Gets Empty Nest Syndrome?

Any parent can receive varying degrees of empty nest syndrome—and yes, some may not experience any symptoms whatsoever—but there are a few types of people who are more likely to experience empty nest syndrome.

Let’s start with those parents who strongly identify with their role. For them, being a parent is who they are. So, when they no longer have children at home for them to base their lives around, they ultimately feel listless and empty.

Similarly, if your entire life revolves around your children, leaving no room for any social connections or hobbies outside of that, when they start to leave home, you’ll more likely feel a sense of loneliness and grief.

If you’re a single parent, you’re also more likely to experience it, but we’ll be going deeper into how to deal with empty nest syndrome as a single parent later in this article.

Is Empty Nest Syndrome Real?

Once your final child has left the home, and things have gotten quiet for the first time in maybe twenty or so years, you might be inclined to think that maybe, just maybe, you’re adjusting to having a child-free home and empty nest syndrome isn’t actually a real thing; but it most certainly is—and severe cases can impact your daily life.

To help parents identify this syndrome, we’ve broken it down into four distinct stages.

Stages of Empty Nest Syndrome

To better describe the overall process, we can split it into the four stages of empty nest syndrome:

● Anticipation: At this point, you realize it’s happening. Your youngest child has received their college acceptance, they are gathering their belongings, preparing to move into a dorm or an apartment, and you are only a few days or weeks away from the house being completely empty.

● Departure: Here, the day has come. Your child has left, and you’re left with its emotional impact. For some, this could last days; for others, weeks or months.

● Adjustment: You’ve begun to accept what the new normal is, but you’re still gradually adjusting to what life is like without having any children in the house. The nest still feels empty, but the worst of it is behind you.

● Renewal: You’ve begun to forge new friendships and pick up new hobbies to fill the void that was left behind by having your children at home, finding new purpose in the process.

Navigating these stages from one to another can prove difficult, and the time frame can vary from person to person, so if you are having a hard time coping and need a little guidance, Serenity Space Therapy is here to help those in Arizona or Florida.

Generally speaking, though, how long does empty nest syndrome last? Let’s cover the basics.

How Long Does Empty Nest Syndrome Last?

It can range, but for most parents, symptoms of empty nest syndrome can last anywhere from 18 months to two years—however, everyone is different, so the duration can swing wildly from one direction to another.

To help prepare yourself for a more severe case of this syndrome, take some time to familiarize yourself with some of the most common symptoms.

Recognizing Severe Empty Nest Syndrome

While most parents will experience it—to some degree—if you’re struggling to carry on with your daily routine, such as work, chores, exercise, etc., you might be facing a more severe case.

Depression is a distinct signifier of empty nest syndrome, so if the stuff that you once did for fun is no longer providing the same sense of enjoyment, you might need to consider professional help.

Empty Nest Syndrome Symptoms

To distinguish true empty nest syndrome from simple adjustment to a child-free home, let’s review some common symptoms.

Physical vs. Emotional Symptoms

We can split empty nest syndrome symptoms into two categories: physical and emotional. They can both tremendously impact those with empty nest syndrome, so let’s lay them out.

For most, empty nest syndrome will come along with depression, although the severity will vary from person to person, and the symptoms of depression can range from not wanting to do anything to having trouble finding joy in your typical hobbies or pastimes.

Depression can also be marked by some physical changes, as well, specifically a shift in appetite, either not eating as much or overeating, while at the same time having little energy and feeling tired all the time.

Beyond that, empty nest syndrome can pull to the forefront any thoughts of mortality and aging. By the time your last child moves out, you’re most likely reaching the halfway point of your life, so when you realize the parts of your life that have come and gone, as signified by your children moving out, it can make it all the more real.

Now that we’ve described the symptoms of empty nest syndrome, how can you tell if the need has come for professional help?

When to Seek Professional Help

As we touched on earlier in the article, seeking professional help may be beneficial. At Serenity Space Therapy, we offer personalized mental health care. Using evidence-based techniques and modalities like EDMR, we help you recover quickly from symptoms of empty nest syndrome.

Even without the help of a professional, you can take measures yourself to learn how to cope with empty nest syndrome. Let’s explore that next.

How to Deal with Empty Nest Syndrome

Fortunately, if professional help is unnecessary or out of reach, a few strategies can help.

Coping Strategies for Parents

The key to coping with empty nest syndrome is to enhance the aspects of your life outside of your parenthood. Start by picking your hobbies or interests back up if you have let them collect dust while you were busy raising your children. If those activities allow you to reconnect with your partner, friends, or wider community—that’s all the better.

Also, just because your children have moved, doesn’t mean that they’re gone; you can still make an effort to stay in contact with them, even if they’re the type of person who forgets (or neglects) to call. While this doesn’t mean that you should be a helicopter parent from afar, it can help to make the nest feel less empty if you’re checking in with them once or twice a week.

Special Considerations for Single Parents

Figuring out how to deal with empty nest syndrome as a single parent comes with its own set of challenges. Because the amount you’re splitting parenting duties with may range between 0 and perhaps 50%, more of the responsibilities naturally fall at your feet. Because of this, parenting becomes a bigger part of your life—sometimes your entire life. So, single parents are more likely to experience empty nest syndrome more severely. It’s often more important for these parents to explore the coping strategies listed above.

How to Help Someone with Empty Nest Syndrome

Those with friends or family members who are going through their final child leaving the home can prove to be a great support. You can be pivotal in helping them get out, explore new activities, rekindle old interests, find new hobbies—the works. It says a lot to just be there for someone who might be feeling down because of empty nest syndrome.

Then, if it seems like they are struggling even more than you are equipped to help with, you can gently push them toward professional support.

Conclusion

Empty nest syndrome is very real, and truthfully, the vast majority of parents will experience the symptoms to some degree, varying from mild to severe—and when it does get severe, the healing assistance of professional help, like that of Serenity Space Therapy, can be exceedingly transformative.

If you’re struggling with empty nest syndrome and live in Arizona or Florida, don’t hesitate to reach out.

FAQs

Leaving an empty nest is challenging, but exploring new activities and hobbies can help. Seek opportunities to build social connections and fill the void.
Planning eases the transition to an empty nest! Schedule visits with your children and start new hobbies that interest you.
Children leave home at varying ages, often based on when their parents started families. However, empty nesters are usually between 45 and 60.
Experiencing a deep sense of emptiness after your children leave home can sometimes bring feelings of sadness that might benefit from professional support.
Empty nesters may distinctly feel sadness, loss, or irritability—the degree of which will depend on how severe each case is.

What Is Empty Nest Syndrome? Understanding Symptoms and How to Cope