Liz and Michelle chat to tv presenter and author Louise Minchin about dealing with empty nest syndrome. Louise shares her own emotional journey as both her daughters left home for university, including the grief she felt at their absence. She explains how she coped by filling her time with new challenges, becoming an endurance athlete and author. Louise talks about pushing herself out of her comfort zone by swimming through shark infested waters to Alcatraz, ice diving, and other adventures with ordinary women doing extraordinary things that she chronicles in her book Fearless. She shares the importance of celebrating what your body can do, not how it looks. Louise offers inspiration on how to be fearless in trying new things and reinventing yourself in midlife after your kids leave home.

Midlife library blog and resources about empty nest syndrome - click here 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Louise was unprepared for the grief and loss she felt when her daughters first left home for university.
• She describes it as a rollercoaster - you're no longer in control as a parent when they choose to come back.
• Louise advises allowing yourself to feel sadness, but also filling your time with new challenges and adventures.
• She pushed herself by training for triathlons, swimming to Alcatraz, and writing two books, including Fearless.
• A key message is to celebrate what your body can do, not focus on how it looks.
• Louise reinvented her career, now calling herself a writer - it's inspiring to pivot even later in life.
• Her advice is to set goals, take small steps out of your comfort zone, and not let fear of failure hold you back.

BEST MOMENTS 

"I was really... extraordinarily unprepared for her leaving home."

"You've got to go with a different kind of rollercoaster. One where you are not in control as a parent anymore."

"I'm proud of what my body can do, not about what it looks like."

"I walked in going, I'm a writer. And that's so exciting."

"Don't be afraid to fall flat on your face."

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