The agony (or ecstasy) of becoming an empty nester

Instead, she recommends setting up new routines and rituals which allow you to meet up regularly with your adult children. “They might come to you for dinner on a Sunday night, or you catch up at a football match or go to a movie. It’s about looking for how that connection’s going to be different, and letting that be enough.”

Being an empty nester is the perfect time to start exploring new avenues in your own life, Brandner adds. “It might be setting up new routines, such as going for a walk or meeting a friend or joining a book club.” Nutting out your interests and setting time aside to follow your passions can help you thrive. “It can be a wonderful time in your life when you still get to enjoy your children but also get to have time for yourself.”

Brandner acknowledges that no longer having your kids under your roof can feel like a great loss. But it doesn’t mean your relationship with them will suffer; it may even strengthen it. “You don’t have to nag them, or [get bogged down by] little things that go wrong or stuff that annoys you,” Brandner says. “You just get the good bit of them.”

Evelyn Lewin is a GP and freelance writer.

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