Empty Nest Success Evangelist specializing in coaching mothers entering the empty nest. โ Master Motivator โ Podcast Host โ Together we'll channel your freaking out energy into freaking awesome energy! ~ Christine, Your Empty Nest Coach
Here we go. Another attempt at college during a pandemic. What an adventure for all of us - whether your child is heading back to campus with face masks, symptom monitoring, physical distancing, and no group hangouts, or if they are home.
No matter the choices that your family has made, motherhood is an adventure. Empty nesting shows up in our lives a little bit differently for each of us, but in the end, we all are doing our best to navigate this thing called life. If you need help discovering your future self, I'm here for you when you are ready to get to work.
Take deep breaths, my empty nest friend (or future empty nest friend), and do your best to enjoy the ride.
Coach Christine,
Your Empty Nest Coach
"I thought I would do a quick rundown of resources that I have available to you as you adjust to the empty nest - and for some of you the not-so-empty-nest."
Take a listen or read the full transcript at the bottom of this post.
โโโ More goodies below, too! Scroll down โ, so you don't miss anything! โโโ
New Podcast EpisodeCoach Christine shares resources she has created specifically for mothers who are having trouble adjusting to the idea of the empty nest (not-so-empty-nest, too)! #EmptyNest #NotSoEmptyNest #EmptyNestSyndrome
You are listening to the Your Empty Nest Coach podcast with Coach Christine - Episode #107: Empty Nest Transition Resources. I work with mothers of high school students and beyond, who are in the trenches with sad and possibly, overwhelming thoughts about what their life will look like when their baby heads to college and begins to leave the nest. My clientsโ big question is what will I do with my time? Is this you? Iโve been there, and I get it. Empowering you to write the next jaw-dropping, amazing chapter in your life is my passion. I am energized by leading you in the process of exploration and am thrilled when you unlock the power that lies within you. This podcast is my gift to you.
[intro] - be sure to use new 2020 intro: podcast creation files folder
Hello, my empty nest friend and CEO of Your Life!
00:00:45
Tomorrow, our daughter heads off to her senior year of college, in the midst of a year that continues to challenge the resilience of all humans. As promised in my last episode, this episode is going to be a quick one. I thought I would do a quick rundown of resources that I have available to you as you adjust to the empty nest - and for some of you the not-so-empty-nest.
First Iโll start with the podcast. Many of the episodes and resources I have created are pre-pandemic, so adjust as needed, as you listen.
00:01:20
In episode 2, I discuss Is the Empty Nest real?, and some ways to combat the sadness and loneliness - remember, you arenโt alone. I created this entire podcast for amazing humans just like you.
In episodes 3 - 7 - I dive into how much power you are giving away in your life through the thoughts in your mind. This is a deeper series and youโll find the concept of thought deliveries throughout my podcast episodes.
I have episodes on specific areas such as when you arenโt a fan of your childโs major (episode 9), how to get rid of guilt (episode 18), now that you have more time together - maybe your partner is driving you crazy? (episode 25), maybe you have no idea what to do with your time ahead - then check out episode 29, or if youโre looking on how to find friends in the empty nest: episode 31.
00:02:14
I also have interviews with experts - one of my favorites for the first semester is my chat with Katy Oliveira in episode 28 where we chat about what mom should expect during the first semester in college.
I did a not-so-empty-nest-series when the physical distancing began for our family, and the wrap up of that series you may find particularly useful if your student is staying home for all (or part) of the school year - for whatever reason.
00:02:42
Of course, I have the GPS Support Flock Membership that will quickly fill your empty nest with ideas, thoughts, and activities for you to begin to discover who you are beneath all of the roles youโve had for the last 18 or so years. Should you be interested in learning more about those, check out my free on-demand training session: Why You Donโt Know What is Next For Your Life.
Iโve also been hanging out in Pinterest Stories lately, and have tried a few Instagram Reels - you may want to check those out.
00:03:12
Of course, there is my website where you may search for anything Iโve discussed - that is YourEmptyNestCoach.com. Should you be looking for quick tips and thoughts Iโve shared with others, be sure to check out my media & press page for additional interviews or posts that Iโve done on other peopleโs websites or podcasts - youโll find this by clicking on Work With Christine and there youโll find Media & Press in that sub-menu.
00:03:37
Yes, fall 2020 is going to look different than fall 2019. Thatโs a given. If you find yourself, now, spiraling in thoughts that their school life should look different, that maybe it isnโt fair to them - or to you - ask yourself, โwhy?โ Why do I believe that it should it look different? Did you get a different life-manual than I did that promises you things like the world you know isnโt going to change drastically? Yes, I am sneaking in a little bit of tough love here. But, I like to do that. Remember that when you live in the should have, you are arguing with reality. Look at what it IS, what is right now in your life, and choose to move forward. If you arenโt dead, my beautiful friend, how about you choose living in the now, rather than arguing with it and living in the should-haves.
00:04:30
Feel those emotions, and try remembering this: PSPF - Patience for self, Self-Love, Patience for Others, and Fun: Be patient with yourself as you adjust to the next segment of your lifeโs journey, shower yourself with love - especially in your thoughts, have patience for your partner and other household members as they are navigating the change, too. Remember that their emotions donโt have to match yours, and donโt forget to have some fun along the way. PSPF.
00:05:03
Okay, while youโre getting this on Friday, Iโm off to enjoy the final week at home with my daughter - unless there is a last minute โhey, weโre all going all onlineโ announcement - yeah, letโs keep it real - this is 2020.
I think I already talked longer than I had planned. Thanks for listening, today. I appreciate you more than you know.
00: 05:21
I was invited to chat with the amazing and wonderful Lauren Kinghorn of Inspiring Mompreneurs. It was great to connect with her, after meeting virtually online probably over a year ago . Take a listen and learn all about my grope calls - I mean group calls - yeah, nothing like getting that wrong in an interview - [giggle] - she has our chat on YouTube as well. Links, as always are in my show notes.
00:05:58
My resilient friend, you are navigating a journey that no one could have expected a year ago. Your choices are right because they are the choices you have made - live in the now and consciously choose when you are thinking about the future - always remembering that YOU, my beautiful friend, ARE AMAZING! Have a great day!
[bloopers]
00:06:35
Thanks! Thank you! Itโs time to thank our sponsor. This episode is sponsored by my membership community, The GPS Support Flock; Your Flight to Success in the Empty Nest. If you are ready to find the GPS of your life, sign up to receive an immediate and free download of my PDF, "How to Find Yourself in the Empty Nest," our GPS Life Principles document. You will also have the opportunity to learn about our community. See the link in this episode's show notes or fly on over to my website, YourEmptyNestCoach.com. Click the GPS Support Flock button. See you soon!
106: Whether Your Child is Going Back to Campus or Not, Feel those Feelings
Hello, my ah-mazing empty nest friend,
This is your reminder to feel those feelings.
Coach Christine,
Your Empty Nest Coach
"...whether your child (or children) are heading back to campus or staying home - for whatever reason, I encourage you to feel those emotions. Trust that you are strong enough to process through them."
Take a listen or read the full transcript at the bottom of this post.
โโโ More goodies below, too! Scroll down โ, so you don't miss anything! โโโ
New podcast episode Coach Christine shares her thoughts on emotions around back to college (or not) season. #EmptyNest #NotSoEmptyNest #BackToSchool #Emotions #NewEpisode
Christine: You are listening to the Your Empty Nest Coach podcast with Coach Christine. Episode number 106: Whether Your Child is Going Back to Campus or Not, Feel those Feelings, Parents! I work with mothers of high school students and beyond, who are in the trenches with sad and possibly, overwhelming thoughts about what their life will look like when their baby heads to college and begins to leave the nest. My clientsโ big question is what will I do with my time? Is this you? Iโve been there, and I get it. Empowering you to write the next jaw-dropping, amazing chapter in your life is my passion. I am energized by leading you in the process of exploration and am thrilled when you unlock the power that lies within you. This podcast is my gift to you.
00:00:48
Hello, my empty nest friend and CEO of Your Life! This episode and my next one are going to be on the shorter side. Well, at least that is my plan, as my daughter is gearing up to head back to campus a week from when this airs.
This is my fourth round of her heading back to or heading to college - yes, sheโs heading into her senior year. I know that there is a level of anxiety that seeps into all we do. Even on the best years of on-campus returns, it is there. From all of us - yes, even my husband partakes in it. It manifests in different ways for each of us but it is there. Iโve seen it peek out in all of us over the last week.
Iโve noticed it in me. Iโve bumped up my presence-work a bit. But before diving into the present, I do my best to name the emotion Iโm feeling - or at least to recognize how it feels in my body - and then I see if I can identify the thought that is causing it. If you are a regular listener of my podcast, you know the drill from here.
00:01:50
Then, I work on pulling myself into the present, if the thought and emotion continues, I always find the more present I am; the less power that has on me, until eventually it has no power. That is the beauty of being present: โin the now,โ as Eckhart Tolle says. In Coach Christine speak, hmmmโฆ kind of like that,
It is as if, I wake up and check in with my protector. I ask them what the delivery is, I see it, notice what it is doing to me (oh, there is a lump in my throat, my stomach feels off), and by noticing it, the power in that thought delivery begins to already subside.
With that in mind, whether your child (or children) are heading back to campus or staying home - for whatever reason, I encourage you to feel those emotions. Trust that you are strong enough to process through them. Sometimes, by simply naming that it is anxiety, or it is nervousness, resentment, you manage to remove a layer (or sometimes ten layers) of that emotion that has a grasp on you.
00:02:54
Remember, you arenโt your emotions. You arenโt your feelings. You arenโt even the thoughts that you have. You are an amazing human doing their best to get from one day to the next. Be kind to yourself. Gift yourself with love.
And, yes, whether your child is heading back to campus or not, I invite you to process through those emotions, and then use the extra time you have to spend some time hanging out with them.
Give them the space to feel their emotions (of course you wouldnโt call it that, but youโll know what you are doing) - some ideas would be to take a walk with them - destination (or no destination), have a coffee date, maybe play a board game that they loved as a child - itโs always fun to revisit things like this.
00:03:40
Sometimes, we look back at board books or childrenโs books that were beloved in our house and we see the flaws in them or the things that we loved about them and it is a really fun discussion. So, while you are looking at the supplies they need for school, in the midst of all the doing of what needs to be done - be careful not to ignore what is going on behind all of those doing actions - for all of you.
Again, spend some time focused on your protector. Calm them down so that you may hold space for your family to see what lies behind their protectors. It is a gift that you will give you and your family - even if they are completely unaware of it.
Iโll be back in a week with another quick bite episode. Now, my beautiful friend, those family members that live in your house and you donโt have to socially distance from, give them a hug - give them a couple of extra ones this week and create some memories.
00:04:37
And never forget that you are amazing. See ya!
[Bloopers]
Thanks! Thank you! Itโs time to thank our sponsor. This episode is sponsored by my membership community, The GPS Support Flock; Your Flight to Success in the Empty Nest. If you are ready to find the GPS of your life, sign up to receive an immediate and free download of my PDF, "How to Find Yourself in the Empty Nest," our GPS Life Principles document. You will also have the opportunity to learn about our community. See the link in this episode's show notes or fly on over to my website, YourEmptyNestCoach.com. Click the GPS Support Flock button. See you soon!