Ever wonder why the empty nest hits so much harder than anyone prepared you for? One minute you're cheering your kids on, feeling proud and excited for their new life chapters… and the next, you’re staring at their empty bedrooms wondering how your heart can feel full and broken at the same time.

In this heartfelt episode of Mind Your Midlife, I get real about the emotional roller coaster women over 40 and 50 experience when their kids grow up and move out. Whether your adult kids live across the country, down the street, or boomeranged back home for a while, the empty nest season brings a complex mix of joy, sadness, pride, grief, and yes—self-doubt.

Using my own story, real client experiences, and practical mindset shifts, we’ll walk through what’s normal, what’s healthy, and what actually helps you move through this transition with confidence, connection, and compassion for yourself. 

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

✔ Why midlife women experience BOTH joy and grief when their kids leave
 ✔ How your own experience of leaving home shapes how you see your kids’ choices
 ✔ The real reason comparison makes the empty nest feel harder (and how to stop doing it)
 ✔ A simple way to love your kids in THEIR love language—not yours

🎯 OMG Moment: Your kids living their own lives isn’t a rejection—it’s proof you raised confident humans who know how to fly.

Take Action

This week, reflect on this question: How does my child love to be loved?

Use their “love language” as your guide—whether that’s words, phone calls, small gifts, quality time, or simply a long hug when you’re together. Just one small shift can completely change how connected you feel in this new chapter.

Check out the book Moms Never Stop Momming as well!

Why This Episode Matters

Midlife women are carrying all the things—menopause, aging parents, career pivots, relationship shifts, and now the empty nest. This episode helps you understand your emotions, release the guilt, stop comparing your family to others, and honor the woman you are becoming in this new phase.

Your identity isn’t disappearing.
It’s evolving.
And you deserve to feel supported, grounded, and proud of the life you’ve created—and the children you raised to thrive on their own.

Text me to ask a question - I'll answer on the podcast!

Find out more information about The Paper Cleanse and/or sign up by Nov. 23rd at www.cherylpfischer.com/thepapercleanse.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

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💡Want support through menopause, mindset shifts, or midlife transitions?

• Join the collective by subscribing on Patreon or grab the bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

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