30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Questions to Ask Around Emotions 💚 (20/30)

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Questions to Ask Around Emotions 💚 (20/30)

In this podcast episode, I share another exercise you can use on your way to becoming the Conscious Effective Olympian of your life.

"Trust that over time, the more that you do this, the easier it will become, the more fun it will become, the sillier life becomes, and we’re not looking for perfection."

Legal disclaimer: Listening to this podcast doesn't make Christine your official coach, and this podcast is not meant to replace your doctor or therapist. Curious? Click here for the deets!

Looking for an episode transcript? You'll find it below! 

Episode Topics & Their Minute Markers

  • 00:42 Skip the intro & jump into today's topic
  • 08:01 Journal Prompt

💚 Send audio feedback to Coach Christine now: voicemail/text to 920-LIFEWIN (920-543-3946). 

You may be interested in…

For those who are freaking out about the empty nest years. It is time to make the rest of your life the best of your life!

Coach Christine,

Your Empty Nest Coach

"Trust that over time, the more that you do this, the easier it will become, the more fun it will become, the sillier life becomes, and we’re not looking for perfection."

Subscribe To This Podcast

It is FREE!

Want to get notified of new episodes directly on your phone? Subscribe to this podcast using your favorite app!

The Your Empty Nest Coach Podcast, Episode 188

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Questions to Ask Around Emotions  (20/30)

FULL TRANSCRIPT

[level-up music]

Questions to ask when your emotions sound an alert  is our topic for today (Day 20) in the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success. 

[level-up music]

If this is your first time listening,  know we are diving into the challenge content. If you like what you hear, jump back to the episode titled “Getting Started with the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success” and then work your way through from the beginning - or visit EmptyNestSuccess.com to sign up for daily or weekly email delivery of this challenge that will lead you to companion videos, additional journal prompts, resources and more! 

Here we go: 

[end music]

00:42

Amazing human and beautiful soul, we have another top of the toolbox item today:  are you ready to unlock your inner Sherlock Holmes to inspect some of those thought-box-deliveries? 

If you began with [the] getting started episode and have worked your way through, by now, you know the analogy - your mind being like a house, there’s a fence, a protector who you are beginning to train and you have thought-box-deliveries being sent inside your home all the time.

Imagine now that you’ve done the process mentioned in our last episode - you are feeling a bit better from some tough emotions and are ready to take a look at a couple of the  thought-box-deliveries that hit you earlier. 

Let’s work through a hypothetical example: maybe, your child is in college and they declare (one day) that they want to leave.You may initially jump right into reaction mode - your Protector puts you on high alert and you begin to react. Then, you consciously notice what’s going on inside your mind and that you haven’t really considered that this may not be the best time to react suddenly and make ultimatums. Ultimately, maybe you land where your reaction mode takes you, but, trust me, you’ll feel better if you consciously make that decision from a loving space rather than a defensive reactive space.  

When you are in a space where you are ready to consider what this really means, and how to proceed, you’ll discover that outside of your fence is your child’s consideration of leaving college. Yes, it’s outside of your fence. 

The action of them telling you this news, creates alerts from your Protector and many thoughts come barreling in. Usually, it’s something like, “You have to graduate from college;” “But this wasn’t the plan;”  And we may not admit it but one of the internal thoughts is “How is this going to look to everybody?” And that’s outside of our fence, too. 

02:43

So, now for the activity. 

Begin to ask the 5 W questions that we learned in (was it) middle school? Elementary school?: Who, What, Where, When & Why.

Let’s inspect our example with some possibilities on how this would play out. 

First, we’ll start with what: What is the thought you are having? While you may have multiple thoughts that are going on about this happening, note which thought keeps rising to the top in your mind. 

Great! You have a thought!  

Next, ask yourself who sent me this thought box delivery? Sounds easy right but it might be surprising. You may discover that this thought really wouldn’t have come from you, as you’ve been struggling over the finances of their college education and wondering if it’s the best fit for them anyway BUT you remember that you thought about leaving college and when you told your parents, guess what they said. Yeah, what you just said.

Again, no judgment. We are just playing detective here.

Next, we ask…”Where am I when I have this thought?”

And this can go two ways. The thought - it could take you to right when you were in college, or you may be playing out a future that hasn’t happened yet.

In this example, we are brought back to our own college days. And that’s not today. In other examples, you may find yourself thinking about a future that may never happen.

And that led right into the When, as well. 

Where, and When sometimes when you look through these thoughts, may be combined. You may have a clear When, you may not have a Where - our mind’s like to jumble things. This is not an exercise where you need to hit all of them, but choose one or two that work really well and that give you enough information for you to become present and think about the thought that you have. 

And finally, Why. This one can be fun. Go wherever you feel led, as the why can go a million different ways. For example  why did I get this thought-box-delivery? Why am I feeling a certain emotion when it comes in? Why is this the first thought I am having? Why am I not considering the positives of this? 

These questions and how you choose to show up as the detective or inspector of your thought-box-deliveries is for you to decide. Have fun with it - even when it is around a thought that might not be easy. 

The whole point of asking these questions is to give you an opportunity to consider if you want to keep the thought or not. Wouldn’t it be fun to be so clear on what is outside of your fence that when your child drops something on you like, “Mom, I think I'm gonna leave college.” 

That you were to feel the emotions. Maybe start to react but notice them and then quickly identify that most of this is outside of your fence which allows you to show up way more loving than you could have if you were navigating through those tough thought-box-deliveries.

Maybe you even come up and say somethin like: “Wow, that's a huge decision. What is telling you that this may be the right decision for you?” 

And then with those thought-box-deliveries on pause, you have the space to listen. 

If you don’t usually respond that way, you may shock your child, but if you begin to show up more often like this by keeping  the things outside of your fence, outside of your fence and then inspecting the deliveries that are sent inside, your inner Sherlock Holmes will serve you well. 

And this isn’t a once and done thing. I’m human. I have moments where all of the thought-box-deliveries come in and I react, and that’s okay. We are humans. It happens. The beautiful thing is you can begin to tune into the fact that you’re not feeling so good and then start to do some of the exercises - we aren’t looking for perfection. We’re looking at feeling a little bit better.

What is happening is you are creating a safe space within your own mind, and that allows you to have the time to process the thoughts that are coming in without going automatically into reaction mode. All of this allows you to show up better not only for yourself but for every single person that you meet - including those closest to you. How cool is that? 

07:23

[level-up music]

Please remember that this isn’t something that we turn a switch on and we suddenly we’ll never go into reaction mode. Sometimes we need the reaction mode, especially in emergencies.

Some days, our Protector is on high-alert and we just have to go, “Okay, that’s where I am right now.”

Trust that over time, the more that you do this, the easier it will become, the more fun it will become, the sillier life becomes, and we’re not looking for perfection. We’re looking for a little more space, and a little more space, and a little more space.  

08:01

[level-up music]

Your journal prompt for today is … Do you have an emotion that you typically try to avoid feeling? How can you use questions to better understand it?

08:14

As always, I provide content to make you think. My hope is that I am able to provide you with thoughts that positively impact your life. If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to take a moment to follow this podcast - it is free after all - AND become this podcast's hero by sharing it with others! You’ll find links to additional resources, time markers and more in the show notes. 

[exit music - upbeat]

Thanks for listening today, see if you can ask yourself a few of those questions and don’t you dare forget that you are amazing! 

Chat next time!

[end]

Your Empty Nest Coach Christine has her arms out wide and looking up to the sky while in nature, text leads to the online home for the 30-Day  Challenge to Empty Nest Success

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success

It's time to take control of your new reality and turn it into a positive experience. Do the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success and get started on your amazing new chapter in life! All are welcome - whether the empty nest is ahead or you've been in it for years and anywhere between. 

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Consciously Process Your Emotions 💚 (15/30)

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Consciously Process Your Emotions 💚 (15/30)

In this podcast episode, we continue the Conscious Effective Olympian analogy for your emotions.

"Be curious about where your thoughts go, and consider what would your life look like if you felt your emotions and you weren't afraid to feel them?"

Legal disclaimer: Listening to this podcast doesn't make Christine your official coach, and this podcast is not meant to replace your doctor or therapist. Curious? Click here for the deets!

 Looking for an episode transcript? You'll find it below! 

This Episode is Brought To You By

  • The C.E.O. Training Team to Empty Nest Success Membership, powered by SupaPass

Episode Topics & Their Minute Markers

  • 00:44 Skip the intro & jump into today's topic
  • 06:48 Journal Prompt

💚 Send audio feedback to Coach Christine now: voicemail/text to 920-LIFEWIN (920-543-3946). 

You may be interested in…

For those who are freaking out about the empty nest years. It is time to make the rest of your life the best of your life!

Coach Christine,

Your Empty Nest Coach

"Be curious about where your thoughts go, and consider what would your life look like if you felt your emotions and you weren't afraid to feel them?"

Subscribe To This Podcast

It is FREE!

Want to get notified of new episodes directly on your phone? Subscribe to this podcast using your favorite app!

The Your Empty Nest Coach Podcast, Episode 183

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Consciously Process Your Emotions (15/30)

FULL TRANSCRIPT

[level-up music]

Consciously Processing Your Emotions is our topic for today (Day 15) in the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success. Yes, we’re halfway there.

[level-up music]

If this is your first time listening,  know we are diving into the challenge content. If you like what you hear, jump back to the episode titled “Getting Started with the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success” and then work your way through from the beginning - or visit EmptyNestSuccess.com to sign up for daily or weekly email delivery of this challenge that will lead you to companion videos, additional journal prompts, resources and more!

Here we go: 

00:44

Amazing human and beautiful soul, we began this topic a bit yesterday when we added on how to envision emotions within our Conscious Effective Olympian Living - and I invite you to dig in a little bit more today: 

Many of us were told over the years to hide our strong emotions. Have you heard these comments: 

"Cheer up," 

"You have nothing to be angry about," 

"Oh I'll give you something to cry about." 

Statements like these certainly don't teach us how to process or pay attention to our emotions. 

It is a bit of a rarity to find loved ones and others who are willing to share their emotions, tell you things like: I’ll be okay. I just have some emotions I need to pay attention to for a little bit of time. 

Can you imagine a parent allowing a child to be angry and encouraging the child to see what they can learn about themselves as they experience the anger? What thoughts are on their mind? Are they enjoying the anger?  To be honest, it might feel way better than the despair they felt moments earlier, or hopelessness they might have been feeling. And then when they get to the other side of the anger, they may be able to move to another emotion that feels even better. 

They may discover the anger really didn’t serve them much at all - or the way they expressed it brought up other things. And the next time they feel it, they may process through it quicker.

What would a world, where we all did this, be like?  These are the kinds of things I like to think about.

In our ever-expanding analogy, I imagine our avoiding and ignoring emotions as we are well-trained to take any thought-box delivery with a strong emotion and toss it in the basement of our home with all the other strong emotions. 

I see all the angry ones are together. All the hopeless ones are together, happy, sadness, you make the piles. The more boxes that are together, the more the energy in that emotion expands over time.

As the thought-box delivery comes down, it quickly is magnetized to the pile that it matches and it becomes STRONG. I almost can visualize them rumbling a bit.

Whether the emotion was triggered by something you watched on TV, in social media, a conversation you had, maybe even driving your car, we don’t know any different, so there’s no reason to beat ourselves up. 

Simply acknowledge that this may be happening. And, if this analogy kind of works for you but you can kind of make it fit a little better, please, make this your own.  

I'd like to encourage you to consider experiencing your emotions (not tossing them down the basement) can be freeing. Sure, we may have been taught to take those emotions, put them into storage and lock them away. 

Taking a look at the emotions, and considering why the emotions are there - what is raising them in us can allow us to clear the clutter of our mind quickly - or quicker than we used to.  I encourage you to become conscious of your emotions. You’re not going to catch them all, but if you start with one, that’s a win!

As you learn to sift through your emotions, pay attention to how they feel in your body, and decide what to do with them before they make it to the basement area. It’s a lot easier to open a single box and to process it, then to go into the basement, grab that box that’s now in a rumbling pile of emotion.

And lets be real, sometimes you open the box, you look at the emotion, and you think, “Yeah, this is justified!” That’s really good! Other times you may be “why was I so angry about this, that’s really no big deal.”   It’s all for you to figure out - make it fun! 

And, there are times when we have to store away emotions briefly until we have time and safe space to process them. When you begin to make that the exception rather than the norm, you may find your life becomes freeing. 

Then, when you do have the time to process your emotions and you end up visiting the storage area, it doesn’t mean you need to dive in and re-evaluate all of your past emotions or anything. Honestly, if you are feeling good, you don’t even have to look at that original box!

Remember, I’m not your boss. You use your own inner guidance, but if you decide to do a deep dive into those emotions, that is a really good time to seek a therapist or another mental health practitioner. They are skilled in helping you navigate all that may come up. 

For now, though, and the future, what if you pay attention to your emotions and consider that, yeah, maybe you just need to be sad. What if you share with your loved ones things like, “Hey, I'm sad. And it’s okay that I’m sad. It really  makes sense. This is a bittersweet time for me.” Looking at the Empty Nest in particular, we could continue with things like,”  I am really excited for you but I'm also sad because I like having you around. And we've built this relationship. I'm really proud of you,  so, I'll miss you. I'm gonna have sad moments but it's gonna be okay. And I am really excited for you."

Not only are you gifting yourself with the ability to take that thought-box delivery, open it up, look at it, consider it and process through - decide where you want to put it, but you're also showing your children and loved ones what emotions look like - that it's okay to have them and this is healthy. 

See where this all lands for you. Ultimately, it’s your journey so do what you feel inspired to try or not try. Conscious Effective Olympian living is super fun and it takes time to adjust - it’s worth it but there is also no rush at all.

A reminder that this is the “meatier” portion of the challenge - and you may need to chew on the concept a little bit. 

Enjoy considering all of this. Be curious about where your thoughts go, and consider what would your life look like if you felt your emotions and you weren't afraid to feel them? Super fun! If you already do this - well done!

06:48

[level-up music]

Your journal prompt for today is …. Reflect on a strong emotion that you initially pushed down - one that isn’t too tough - can you identify where that thought originally came from?

[exit music - upbeat]

Thanks for listening today! Lean into some of those emotions and don’t you dare forget that you are amazing! 

Chat next time!

[end]

Your Empty Nest Coach Christine has her arms out wide and looking up to the sky while in nature, text leads to the online home for the 30-Day  Challenge to Empty Nest Success

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success

It's time to take control of your new reality and turn it into a positive experience. Do the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success and get started on your amazing new chapter in life! All are welcome - whether the empty nest is ahead or you've been in it for years and anywhere between. 

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Your Emotions 💚 (14/30)

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Your Emotions 💚 (14/30)

In this podcast episode, we continue our primary analogy for Conscious Effective Olympian living with a focus on your emotions. 

"Any emotion you experience is valid because it is yours."

Legal disclaimer: Listening to this podcast doesn't make Christine your official coach, and this podcast is not meant to replace your doctor or therapist. Curious? Click here for the deets!

 Looking for an episode transcript? You'll find it below! 

This Episode is Brought To You By

  • The C.E.O. Training Team to Empty Nest Success Membership, powered by SupaPass

Episode Topics & Their Minute Markers

  • 00:42 Skip the intro & jump into today's topic
  • 03:13 Journal Prompt

💚 Send audio feedback to Coach Christine now: voicemail/text to 920-LIFEWIN (920-543-3946). 

You may be interested in…

For those who are freaking out about the empty nest years. It is time to make the rest of your life the best of your life!

Coach Christine,

Your Empty Nest Coach

"Any emotion you experience is valid

because it is yours."

Subscribe To This Podcast

It is FREE!

Want to get notified of new episodes directly on your phone? Subscribe to this podcast using your favorite app!

The Your Empty Nest Coach Podcast, Episode 182

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success: Your Emotions

FULL TRANSCRIPT

[level-up music]

Your Emotions. That’s our topic for today (Day 14) in the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success.  

[level-up music]

If this is your first time listening,  know we are diving into the challenge content. If you like what you hear, jump back to the episode titled “Getting Started with the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success” and then work your way through from the beginning - or visit EmptyNestSuccess.com to sign up for daily or weekly email delivery of this challenge that will lead you to companion videos, additional journal prompts, resources and more!

Here we go: 

00:42

Amazing human and beautiful soul, are you ready to add your emotions into this analogy that we are building? 

Let’s go back to those thought-box-deliveries that enter your home. 

I like to imagine my emotions (once I’ve identified them) as written on the inside flap opening of my thought-box-delivery. I picture them in thick black ink. 

For example, Imagine you open the thought-box-delivery labeled “my future is unknown”. And you see inside this box, written fear, nervousness, overwhelm - one word on each interior side of the box. 

For some thought-box-deliveries there will be one singular emotion. And for other thought-box-deliveries, there may be multiple emotions that arise. It’s always good to pick one emotion to take a look at a thought at a time. 

 Sometimes, we identify our thoughts before our emotions but quite often, what happens is our box is open and that emotion is pouring out - so we experience that emotion before we even think to pay attention to the thoughts we are thinking. 

Any emotion you experience is valid because it is yours. You may want to consider that an emotion you are experiencing might be an indicator to take stock of things - maybe do a reset, take a look at your thought-box-deliveries, or simply add to the statement: “And that is okay.”  This may lift the emotion to feeling a little better and gives you the space to experience it. 

If your emotions feel good - and you catch them - see what thought-box-delivery they arrived in and make a note that this one is definitely worth keeping and revisiting. Also, who sent that to you because you might want to spend more time around them. 

If you find your emotions tend to be on the unpleasant side of things, and are able to identify your thought-box-deliveries related to the emotion, those might be ones that are worth training your Protector on - and imagine what you would want your protector to do with them. 

I’d start with something small. 

For me, most of these deliveries are ones that my Protector now allows to pass on by - knowing they were never meant for me anyway. There’s no reason for them to enter my fence. 

We’ll continue to talk about your emotions in our next episode.

03:13 

[level-up music]

Your journal prompt for today is ….Take a moment to reflect on a recent situation where you experienced strong emotions. Are you able to identify the thought or belief that triggered them?

03:27

[level-up music]

As always, I provide content to make you think. My hope is that I am able to provide you with thoughts that positively impact your life. If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to take a moment to follow this podcast - it is free after all - AND become this podcast's hero by sharing it with others! You’ll find links to additional resources, time markers and more in the show notes. 

[exit music - upbeat]

Thanks for listening today, see what emotions arise,  and don’t you dare forget that you are amazing! 

Chat next time!

[end]


Your Empty Nest Coach Christine has her arms out wide and looking up to the sky while in nature, text leads to the online home for the 30-Day  Challenge to Empty Nest Success

30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success

It's time to take control of your new reality and turn it into a positive experience. Do the 30-Day Challenge to Empty Nest Success and get started on your amazing new chapter in life! All are welcome - whether the empty nest is ahead or you've been in it for years and anywhere between. 

107: Empty Nest Transition Resources ⭐

107: Empty Nest Transition Resources ⭐

Hello, my ah-mazing empty nest friend, 

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.

⇓⇓⇓ More goodies below, too! Scroll down ⇓, so you don't miss anything! ⇓⇓⇓

New Podcast Episode🎙Coach 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 

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FULL TRANSCRIPT: 

Episode 107 of the Your Empty Nest Coach Podcast

00:00:00

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 clients’ big question is what will I do with my time?  Is this you?  I’ve 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 I’ll 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 aren’t 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 you’ll find the concept of thought deliveries throughout my podcast episodes. 

I have episodes on specific areas such as when you aren’t a fan of your child’s 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 you’re 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 you’ve 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 Don’t Know What is Next For Your Life.

I’ve 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 I’ve discussed - that is  YourEmptyNestCoach.com. Should you be looking for quick tips and thoughts I’ve shared with others, be sure to check out my media & press page for additional interviews or posts that I’ve done on other people’s websites or podcasts - you’ll find this by clicking on Work With Christine and there you’ll find Media & Press in that sub-menu. 

00:03:37

Yes, fall 2020 is going to look different than fall 2019. That’s a given.  If you find yourself, now,  spiraling in thoughts that their school life should look different, that maybe it isn’t fair to them - or to you -  ask yourself, “why?” 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 isn’t 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 aren’t 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 life’s 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 don’t have to match yours, and don’t forget to have some fun along the way.  PSPF.

00:05:03

Okay, while you’re getting this on Friday, I’m off to enjoy the final week at home with my daughter - unless there is a last minute “hey, we’re all going all online” announcement - yeah, let’s 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!  It’s 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! 

[End]

106: Whether Your Child is Going Back to Campus or Not, Feel those Feelings 💚

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.

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New podcast episode 🎙Coach Christine shares her thoughts on emotions around back to college (or not) season. 💚 #EmptyNest #NotSoEmptyNest #BackToSchool #Emotions #NewEpisode

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FULL TRANSCRIPT: 

Episode 106 of the Your Empty Nest Coach Podcast

00:00:00

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 clients’ big question is what will I do with my time?  Is this you?  I’ve 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, she’s 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. I’ve seen it peek out in all of us over the last week. 

I’ve noticed it in me. I’ve bumped up my presence-work a bit. But before diving into the present, I do my best to name the emotion I’m 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: “in the now,”  as Eckhart Tolle says. In Coach Christine speak, hmmm… 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 aren’t your emotions.  You aren’t your feelings. You aren’t 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 wouldn’t call it that, but you’ll 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 - it’s always fun to revisit things like this. 

00:03:40

Sometimes, we look back at board books or children’s 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. 

I’ll be back in a week with another quick bite episode. Now, my beautiful friend, those family members that live in your house and you don’t 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!  It’s 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! 

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