“5 Ways to Deal with Empty Nest”, Marcia Hall

With the kids back in school during the days, stay at home moms and nannies of school aged children may find that they suddenly have lots of time on their hands.  It’s not unusual for the excitement of the first day of school to quickly give way to feelings of loneliness. 

To alleviate that loneliness, here are five things you can do now that the kids are out of the house for several hours.

• Organize the house – Summertime is full of fun vacations and busy activities.  It is not a great time to clean and organize your house.  But, now that you have more time on your hands, you can. Don’t overdo yourself though.  Take just one or two rooms a week and pull things out of the closets, clean under the beds and couches and go through the boxes of stuff you have stored away.  Rotate and organize the clothes.  Start a box of items that will be donated, or even plan a fall rummage sale to make a little extra money for the holidays that will be here before you know it.  Get rid of the things you don’t need or use any more and just purge.  Turn spring cleaning into autumn cleaning.
• Catch up with friends – Busy moms don’t get a lot of time to have fun with friends during the hot summer months.  Now that the kids are back in school it can be a great time to do so.  If you have friends who work during the day, take them out to lunch near their office or bring lunch to them.  This can also be a great time to make some new friends or get to know the acquaintances you have been meaning to spend more time with.  Invest in the relationships that make you happy.
• Find a new hobby – Think about all the ideas you have of projects you wanted to accomplish but haven’t had the time to pursue.  Now is the time. Take a look at your Pinterest boards and see what sparks your imagination.  Go to your local craft store and pick out items and projects that look like fun.  Finish some of those projects that you have put on hold or take back up the crafts that you used to love.  Work on your children’s baby books or scrapbooks.  Find something that sparks your interests.
• Set goals to get you healthy – This is the best time to start a new exercise routine or cut back on the foods you have been indulging in over the summer months.  The weather is getting a little cooler and being outside is wonderful.  Take a few long walks or runs.  Get to the gym more often.  Make a goal to do one thing for the health of your body every day.
• Catch up on some rest and relaxation time – There is no shame in indulging in some you time.  Take advantage of the quiet house and read a book that you have been wanting to read or take a nap after the kids are on the bus.  You work hard and deserve some R&R.

Whatever way you end up spending your extra time now that the kids are back in school, know that it will help your children.  When you are able to spend time on the projects and activities that bring you joy, the whole family will be healthier and happier.

About Marcia Hall