Do you find your­self tak­ing a trip down mem­ory lane while your child excite­ment builds as they pack the car to head off to col­lege, start a mil­i­tary career, or get their first apart­ment? You may feel shaky, sad, con­fused, or relieved. Par­ents react dif­fer­ently to an empty nest. It is a time of change, a time to look at your child’s needs and your needs. It can be a fresh begin­ning. Here are sev­eral tips to help you cope with this period of your life.

Rest. Take some time for your­self while you adjust to the change and try to fig­ure out how you really feel. Dras­tic changes may only cause regret later, so hold off on the redecorating.

Exer­cise. If you find your­self sad or depressed, exer­cise is a way to lift your mood. Find a friend or work out buddy to help you start a new rou­tine. Avoid those fatty foods, choco­late and cock­tails. Opt for a round of yoga, aer­o­bics, weight train­ing, and healthy eating.

Recon­nect with oth­ers. Revisit your rela­tion­ships. If you are sin­gle, you may want to get out and min­gle. If you are mar­ried and you have spent decades focus­ing on your chil­dren, find new energy to recon­nect with your loved one.

Fol­low your pas­sion. Do you like to vol­un­teer? What about going back to school? Think about tak­ing on some new life-enriching activities.

Set a sched­ule for com­mu­ni­ca­tion. Many par­ents worry that they will lose con­tact with their child. Set a reg­u­lar phone date with your child once a week. This will ease your mind and give them some sense of freedom.

For more arti­cles on the empty nest, read Col­lege Bound: Proven Ways to Pre­pare and Plan for Get­ting Into the Col­lege of Your Dreams at http://www.college-path.com