“College is coming up for my last child, and I'm excited, but I'm also nervous.”

“What if I don't like being alone?”

“What if I miss them?”

“What if it's too quiet in the house?”

These are some of the thoughts and emotions that moms often have when their children leave home for college—and they're normal!

In fact, some experts call this time a "second adolescence" because we may feel out of rhythm with our new reality. So how can we adjust emotionally as our family structure changes so drastically?

When your last child goes to college, you may feel a sense of loss and disappointment. You may also feel a sense of hope and joy at being free from the daily challenges of parenting. But whatever emotions you're experiencing, don’t feel bad about it—there’s no right or wrong way to feel.

To help make your transition into the empty nest stage easier on yourself, try these suggestions:

• Realize that there may be a time of grieving and be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

• Get used to dealing with new emotions; accept that these emotions are normal and don’t add judging yourself to them.

• Go back to the source of your emotions—what thoughts are you thinking that are creating these emotions?

And when you feel stuck in an emotion that is not serving you, try these three things to move forward.

1.      Name Your Emotion – sometimes we don’t even know what we feel. Getting in touch with what we are really feeling is a first step.

2.      Claim Your Emotion. Where do you feel it? What does it feel like?

3.      Tame Your Emotion. Take deep breaths for 2-3 minutes. This helps you relax into the emotion and let it pass through you, without resisting or numbing out through eating, drinking or other binge activities.

Yes, it might be scary and sad and anxiety-filled, but it can also be a time of renewal and joy and hope. This is your time, mama. After years of caring for your family, you can start taking care of yourself, your emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.

I coach empty nest moms who are ready to let go of the emotions that are keeping them stuck and complacent and create a life they love. Are you ready to learn how to reset your emotions?

Schedule a FREE call HERE.