Spicy Midlife Women: Real Talk, Raw Truth, and Bold Moves for Women Over 40

31. Preparing for the Empty Nest Era: What Midlife Women Need to Know

• Jules and Michele: Midlife Mentors • Episode 31

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In this candid and heartfelt conversation, Jules and Michele pull back the curtain on what it really looks like to transition into the empty-nest chapter as Gen X moms. From growing up as free-range kids to raising children in the age of smartphones, constant supervision, and code words for safety, these two walk through how parenting has evolved and why that deeply impacts what empty nesting feels like today.

They explore the emotional rollercoaster that comes with kids leaving home, the grief and excitement of rediscovering yourself, the shifting dynamics with partners and friends, and the surprising ways adult children still stay connected. This episode is a must-listen for any woman who finds herself wondering: Who am I beyond motherhood and what comes next?

Inside the episode, they dive into:

  • The major differences between empty nesting now vs. decades ago
  • Why Gen X parents experience this transition more intensely
  • How to reconnect with your identity after years of being in “go mode”
  • Reigniting friendships and redefining your romantic or co-parenting relationships
  • Navigating boundaries and communication with adult children
  • Caring for your mind and body through this new season
  • Why an empty nest does not mean an empty life

Whether you're in the thick of raising teens, preparing to launch your kids into adulthood, or already navigating the quiet of home, this conversation will leave you feeling seen, supported, and inspired to step fully into your next chapter.

Stay spicy, ladies — your story is far from over.

Are you ready to take your "spiciness" to the next level?!

Connect with Julee & Michele on Instagram @spicy_midlife_women and send a DM about what resonated most during this episode so they can encourage you with steps forward in your own life.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, hey, all of you spicy women out there, Jules and Michelle here from Seattle, Washington, sharing our real life stories and having no BS conversations with all of you, right, Michelle? That's right, Jules.

SPEAKER_01:

Here to help all you midlife women ditch those toxic cycles, reclaim your power one episode at a time.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, so let's get into it. Let's do it. What is the one thing that you think people going into midlife might anticipate when they're, I don't know, not getting enough sleep, don't have enough time in the day to think.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, we're all like when they're 18, man, things are gonna settle down.

SPEAKER_00:

That's what you think anyway.

SPEAKER_01:

That's what you think.

SPEAKER_00:

Back in back in the olden days, you know, like 10 years ago, that meant 18, right? Now it's like we really are at least we're in the market where kids are going off to college. So they're not really empty nesting your house. They're kind of, you know, going on vacation almost, so to speak, because they're gone, but they come back and still do their laundry or whatever. Yeah. But we both experienced it and we're still in the process of experiencing it. And the one thing that Michelle and I had talked about before we were even starting to today was the differences in empty nesting, you know, today versus empty nesting, you know, 20 years ago, even was so much different because their expectations for maybe what we were doing were different, right? Yeah. So we wanted to chat. Michelle, pipe in anytime.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, no, we weren't talking about that because we're Gen X generation. So, you know, at that time, our parents were having more kids. They were keeping busier, but at the same time, it was different because the kids were outside doing a lot of their own things. It's not like that now. There's so much to be concerned with at this time in life with the internet, with the smartphones and computers, social media, all of that stuff. Parents, I think, and we kind of segued into what it is now. We had the before, before any of that was here with our kids and how we were handling things. We moved through it all coming and we saw the transition of what that looked like. So we have experienced kind of both of those. And that's kind of when, like in the 90s, when we started having to keep kids busier, right? And that's when, you know, we're taking them to baseball and we're taking them to swim lessons and we're doing all of those things, and life really started to shift. I think prior to that, there were a lot more stay-at-home moms or dads, whatever, but stay-at-home parents. And as we went through the 90s and continued on into the 2000s, here we are. The way things shifted and changed, parents were busier and busier and busier, and at the same time, more and more and more hovering over what their kids were doing and staying busy with all of that.

SPEAKER_00:

I think the helicopter parent comes to mind. Yeah. I feel like I was a tiny bit of an uptight helicopter parent. Yeah. And maybe it's because I didn't have as much control as I would have had or as much insight into what was happening on the daily with my kids because I was working and I was traveling and everything. So yeah, now we dial forward to these Gen X folks, like, you know, us. We were, they call them. I mean, I see all this stuff on TikTok and I crack up laughing because it's so true. You know, that we stayed out till the lights came on and, you know, we rode our bikes without helmets and seatbelts. What were those? I mean, just these things that now, when we started becoming parents, and then we see our kids going into their teenage years and getting ready to go off to college and everything. It's like we would never have them do the same things that we did because we would feel, I mean, I even feel so incredibly irresponsible if I let my kids, oh yeah, just come back with the lights. Come on. Can you imagine? We were worried about people abducting them. We're worried about drugs, we're worried about you know we went through that transition though.

SPEAKER_01:

That's what I mean. And it was kind of this for me, anyways, a little bit of a tug of war because I have four boys, right? So they were, they actually were, they did a lot of that. They were outriding the neighborhood on their bikes and you know, coming, I didn't know where they were all the time. I literally didn't. But then, you know, you start hearing these things that we're going down a little bit of a rabbit hole. But trust me, it'll make sense as we come around to what we're really diving into. But these things start coming home where we got to come up with these code words for our kids so that if anybody else tries to pick them up besides us, nobody knows the code word except for and these little ID cards that had their pictures on it. If they ever went missing, it was like all this stuff, and it really caused this hyperparanoia, I think, among parents to feel like we had to keep tabs on our kids every freaking second of the day. And, you know, with that, it just transitioned into this involvement that we have more so than the previous generation, I think, with our kids. Therefore, I think when it comes to the time where we're getting closer and closer to that quote unquote empty nest chapter, it's really apparent the transition and the change in dynamics that there is because of how involved we ended up being through this last, you know, 20, 25 years. It was very different.

SPEAKER_00:

So our folks didn't really go to our games. They didn't, you know, drive different places. We rode our bikes different places, you know, we were with our friends a lot. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's not to say they didn't pay attention or weren't involved to some degree, but it's just not how it was. Nothing like it was. It's not how it was. Every freaking practice. It was a little bit ridiculous. I mean, I personally didn't, and I was kind of given the little shun sometimes by my ex because I'm like, well, why don't you want to go to practice? And I'd be like, because I want to like finish the groceries or it was like, I don't need to be at every single little thing, but I mean, we were there. So anyway, as we transition into the topic of empty nesting, what I we're trying to get across, which Michelle said, promise we will bring it full circle, is that it's gonna look a little bit different for you or us or people that are depending upon where you're at in your own personal journey, because you may have kids that are leaving in your 40s. And so they've been brought up maybe more in the internet generation, where you're trying to shield them really from a lot of different things. And so your mind is on a lot of the things that are happening around them or could potentially happen around them, or you know, whatever the case may be.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Thinking of empty nesting, when we were talking about some of the dynamics with this, our hope here is to bring to light some of you that are within the throes of that time period where you are super involved with your kids or super involved just in general. Life is so busy and you are always trying to do for them what you can. I think some of that, there's a guilt factor because we are working outside of the home so much. And so then we're trying to insert ourselves and do everything we possibly can for our kids, whatever they need, whatever it is. And therefore, when you get to the point where they're leaving for college or they're moving out into their onto their own, into an apartment, whatever it is, because we're so used to doing all the things, now there's nothing to do. So our hope is to help you realize that the importance of recognizing that when this time comes, you will need to reacquaint yourself with yourself, with the things that you like to do.

SPEAKER_00:

With your person.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. And if there's a partner, there's all of that that comes into play. So doing some of those things now before that time comes is really important.

SPEAKER_00:

So this isn't a topic that you would compartmentalize, really. No, it's there's a lot of different yeah, because it's like really planning and kind of preparing for what that looks like. Like we talked at the very beginning of the episode about thinking, thinking about having kids that are young kids or teenagers or people that are kind of you're having monitor different types of things like driving, all that sort of stuff. There, it's exhausting, mentally exhausting. And I remember thinking, oh my gosh, what is it going to be like? I cannot wait till I don't have to worry about X, till I don't have to think about this, that, or the other thing because I was so overwhelmed. Yeah. So we're looking forward to the time when these kids would be able to have all of those things in play. But what I've found is it doesn't really work that way. I mean, and it's not to say that you don't have your own time. I feel like we're starting to identify and learning how to adjust ourselves to all of that, even though we still have a little bit of the kids around, you know, for those of you who are not from the Northwest or, you know, you live in really expensive areas of the country, one of the issues that we run into here is that housing is so expensive.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And so you find a lot of generations still kind of coming and going, you know. So like my youngest is kind of going back and forth between my house and my ex-husband's house. Yours had college during COVID.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And was finishing up his degree while he couldn't be at college. I mean, it's just this weird stuff that was happening that was pretty unprecedented, right? Yeah. Yeah. So it's never been completely empty. Yeah. But at the same time, I notice now, like when like my oldest comes home to visit or whatever, he's here. It's different. It's so weird. I'm like, he's so in my space. I love having him here. But I can't even imagine us living in the same house again. You know, yeah. He's kind of been off and figured out his own thing.

SPEAKER_01:

We and we start that next chapter. We do those beginning stages of what comes next. And really having to focus, Julie and I sat down and we thought of some ways on how to handle it, how to handle the empty nesting. So to Julie's point, it hasn't been like boom, we're empty nesters. It's been a bit of a slower transition for us. But at the same time, these are things that we have had to think about and focus on and just wanted to share some of these things with you. There, I don't know, there's like five or six things that we just food for thought, really. Yeah, hopefully, yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00:

What's that first one, Jules? You know, giving yourself permission to feel weird or comfortable about it because it is truly, you know, when you think about benchmarking milestones, this is one of them.

SPEAKER_01:

For sure.

SPEAKER_00:

As an adult, you know, you bench them when you, if you get married, when you have children, you know, all the things that kind of come along. Well, empty nesting is one of those. Yeah. And it's okay to feel some kind of way about it. Yeah. You don't know because you've never experienced it before. So there's some ways to maybe handle those things. Work like Michelle and I, we talk about the shit all the time.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I was gonna say too, I think it's important to recognize also that different emotions, it's okay to let those different emotions coexist within you, right? Because there's probably gonna be a sense of grief to a certain degree, but then also excitement at the same time. And that's okay. You don't have to feel guilty about being excited to be able to start doing some things that you never even had time to think about doing before.

SPEAKER_00:

Thought about them before, and you're like, oh, I wish I had time for that. Yeah. Time for it. You wanna do that? It's also just on a little side note, when we talk about empty nesting for ourselves, but this transition, even though it might be a little scary, you know, because you don't really know what the future holds for us, it's the same thing for our kids. I mean, they're all excited to get out there and not have a lot of the parameters maybe put around them. Hopefully, we have put, you know, good judgment in them and they're gonna screw up and make mistakes, of course, but hopefully not life-altering ones. And they know that they we are here if they need us.

SPEAKER_01:

And they'll realize how often I cleaned the toilet and they didn't.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. I put a sticker on our key down to the seat.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So yeah, it goes both ways. They're experiencing a whole bunch of different stuff too.

SPEAKER_00:

And but you know what? Bottom line is is like they're gonna miss home. I don't care what they say. Yeah, they're gonna miss home and miss the comfort of coming in the door and knowing that you're there. So it's uh it goes both ways.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. It wasn't long ago. I think it was when I was I went on a cruise this last summer. So I was gone for two weeks, which is probably the longest. And my son, Isaac, my youngest, he is around. And when I got home, he was like, I'm glad you're back. I missed you. You haven't say a whole lot. So, but to that point, yeah. And it just kind of shows, yeah, they do have an appreciation for all the things that we do do. And as time progresses and we move, you know, away and apart from each other, it's exciting that we both in a way get to be spreading our own wings, both the parents and the children spreading their wings in their own different ways. So, anyways.

SPEAKER_00:

But now, okay, funny thing though, on the empty nesting, you know, I just went on a trip. Yeah, and I was gone out of the country, and but we have the all four of us have the the tracking thing on your the iPhone thing, you know, you can see where people are at. So my oldest, he's hilarious. He's in Texas, he's following me to see where I'm at. Are you doing okay there, Bom? I'm in St. Lucia and the Caribbean. It's like, are you doing okay? Is everything going okay? And I'm like, he is like a little old man watching me from the sideline. Yeah, laughing, you know, because it's like it's almost like a roll so switched a little bit.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that feels good though. And it feels good, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Pay attention, but anyway, just a little side note.

SPEAKER_01:

So giving you permission to feel, giving you permission to feel, yeah, super important. And then another one is um reconnecting with yourself, right? Revisit and take the time to think about who you were before this, you know, before motherhood.

SPEAKER_00:

But you may have been a 24-year-old or 22-year-old that really hadn't kind of grown into themselves yet, too. So that's something to think about.

SPEAKER_01:

But there are, and with that, you and I, Julie, both young parents, right? So, but when I think about those things, I have, as I've gotten older, I have experienced some of the things that I should have experienced in those younger years. So I guess it's not so much, you know, who was I at that time, but what what were your dreams? What were your desires? What are some of the things that you wanted to do prior to having children and getting busy with all of the things that go on in that middle portion of life, right? And I don't know, you could even go so far as to write some of those things down. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, because you how do they look today? I mean, when you're 23, 24 years old, it probably looked a lot different in your mind than it does today. Right.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, and how you because you take you take the mind of who we are now, right, with some of the things that we wanted to back then. You're exactly right. It's gonna look different. And I guess a challenge for all you ladies out there would be to explore some of those old passions in a new way, right? Yeah, you could put it, you can put a twist on it, whatever it might be.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, letting them go.

SPEAKER_01:

But yeah, but just not letting them go. It's not important to you now.

SPEAKER_00:

That's bless and release, no big deal. But if it's something that you've been after, like say you were an artist, for example, and you know, you started a family young and you were home taking care of kids, or you were working and taking care of kids, your passion was not something that you were necessarily nurturing. Now you might have the time to do some of that. Exactly. I know a couple women that actually have they're around our age, maybe a little bit younger, and it's exactly what I just mentioned. That's where it came to mind. They raised families, they have these big corporate jobs, and they're super talented. And one in particular, I'm thinking of I'm on her Instagram, and oh my gosh, this woman does the most amazing art, and she has her studio now. And it's like her kid is grown and great, but she's totally pursuing the passion that she's probably had. I love that. So important, so important. Yeah. So another one I'm thinking about is reigniting relationships. This is super important because we put a lot of things on the back burner when we are raising our families. Think about friendships and things. You know, everybody who's has a good friendship during the time frame when they're raised in their family usually corresponds to something to do with their kids or and they meet them that way. That's how we met. That's how we met. Exactly. So those relationships are people understand that we're busy, we're going in many different directions. You know, it's like right now I I have this group of women from Nordstrom that are very close dear friends of mine, and we try to pull together and do like some kind of a trip, and we're on this group chat, and I'm cracking up because we've, I mean, they're they've all got kids. We're all have kids around that same age, some going off to college, you know, that sort of thing too. But we all have these things happening. So we're trying to find a week when everybody can kind of just like let their other responsibilities go and be in one place. Okay. Yeah. So I'm I'm the one going, whatever you guys decide, just let me know. I have a lot more flexibility. Yeah. The 13-year-old that's sure. Sure. So anyway, I think reigniting some of those friendships and maybe pursuing them differently is important because you look at it differently. But probably even more critical is if you are married or you're in a partnership or relationship, is really rethinking that and what it looks like. Yeah. That kind of thing that was an epiphany for me up getting divorced because we were talking about this kind of stuff. Yeah. And he had this vision of the future that was completely different than mine. Yeah. And we hadn't really talked about it. So when I was hearing what his vision was, I'm like, oh hell no. That is not what I want at all. And it's like in my head, I was saying that. It's like it's okay to pursue things differently if you guys choose to do that. But at the same time, it's like coming back and realigning on what's important. There probably haven't been a lot of discussions about that if you've been going in lots of different directions. And I think relationships are going to be the foundation of any kind of family structure. Sure. Whether you have them or you don't have them, or you're divorced and you're partnering, you know, parenting together or whatever the case is for you. But those foundations are pretty critical when you're in a relationship on what it's going to look like.

SPEAKER_01:

And for those that are together and do stay together, taking the time to rediscover each other in a way that you haven't been able to for such a long time, right? Physically, emotionally, mentally, all the things.

SPEAKER_00:

I think that, well, that's a whole nother topic, but relationships that really are successful do that throughout the course of their marriage or their partnership. Instead of putting it off, or like I said, compartmentalizing.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I'm just saying, yeah, like, and it I mean, it's one of the reasons we're talking about for those of you that are in the throes of that, try to take Make and make the time to be able to do all of these things that we're talking about. If you can do some of them prior to that empty nesting chapter that is going to happen, whether you like it or not, better prepared. You'll be better prepared for sure.

SPEAKER_00:

So what's another one?

SPEAKER_01:

I think sometimes our purpose gets lost. And redefining that might be something that is necessary to explore. Some of those things might be volunteering in some capacity, mentoring, taking a class, starting some kind of side hustle or hobby, this podcast. Hello. That I mean, this is one of the things, just to use as an example, but ask yourself too the question of what do what is this next chapter about? What is it going to look like? What do you want it to be? Because you can really define that path, however it is you want it to go based on the decisions that you make, the things you're choosing to do, what gives you joy, the things that you're filling your time with.

SPEAKER_00:

So really define what your purpose is beyond your children, yeah, or your relationship or your home or whatever, then you've got some soul searching to do.

SPEAKER_01:

And yeah, I'm I'm finding out now. I will always be that support structure within my family to a certain degree, with each one individually, as well as a collective unit, family unit. And that is that looks different for everybody. That's you know, nothing we can even pinpoint. But so that's always there. But redefining what my own purpose is, right? That is very thought-provoking. And I think a lot of times we think we know, but really in the grand scheme of things, there's probably a lot more out there that is there for you than you even realize for what your purpose can be.

SPEAKER_00:

So yeah, I'd run across this poet. I mean, I'll actually find it and we can post it on our page that was talking about this very thing. And it was a woman, she's a poet, and was talking about the defining of your purpose or the defining of what makes you you. And it was maybe kind of a conversation, really, that was going back and forth. So maybe not so much the poetry part of it, but a conversation. But it was the definition, like this woman was asking, Who are you? And the woman that was answering was saying, I'm a mother, I'm a teacher, I'm Hawaii. Who are you? Those are labels, right? Who are you? Who are you? Yeah. It was a very difficult thing.

SPEAKER_01:

I think I saw that. I think I know what you're talking about, is very profound.

SPEAKER_00:

Super thought provoking. Yeah. And that's how we identify ourselves. Yes. You know, we put these labels on ourselves, but really at the core of it, who are you? Yeah. Is a very thought-provoking question that I think a lot of us will ignore. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

We do ignore it, and it's hard for us to reach within and understand who we are. I think we see and we take in what other people think of us, which is kind of about who we are to them, but who are we to ourselves, really? So yeah, that's super, that's deep. That's deep. That was so deep.

SPEAKER_00:

So profound. It's so true. It is, I know. It's a thought, it's a question that I have been pondering a lot, sitting on the beach, watching the sunset. It's like where you've got this like basically blank canvas in front of you. Yes. Makes you puts you in a place to think those things. Those aren't things that I think about when I'm necessarily on a walk or whatever, but it's more kind of uh defining time frames.

SPEAKER_01:

Super exciting, though, all at the same time. Yeah. So okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, the other one that I think is really important as our kids are growing up, they're in different stages, obviously, depending upon where you're at as a parent, but keeping the lines of communication open and defining the difference between parenting and mentoring. Because like you hear I've heard people say when their kids are young that it's like, oh, she's my best friend. And I'm like, oh, dude, yeah. Yeah. Your daughter cannot be your best friend. Yeah. You that's not the role you're supposed to be playing with her. She needs to be defining you in a different way. It that's my feeling on it. But now, as they're older, you know, my daughter's 28 and she is one of my besties. I love that kid. But we still have that type of relationship where we can talk about anything. It's very different than it was when she was younger. But I'm still there to provide advice to her. I'm still there to give her guidance. And not to say she hasn't done the same thing for me, too, on things that I haven't experienced.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, and I think there's boundaries that come into play. And so therefore, you do stay connected, but with those boundaries, it is more in a parent type aspect. I think they realize that too.

SPEAKER_00:

So they look at you through a different lens that you don't, it'd be so interesting to see the lens your kids are looking through when they even though they're like bro and bruh.

SPEAKER_01:

Dude. Oh yeah. No, no, no, no, no. That's yeah. So, but I know that's like huge now in this generation. Yeah, uh and you know, parents are good at keeping their kids in a check when it comes to that shit. But yeah, that's kind of I'll recognize it as endearing, I guess, in a way. But yeah, it's not respectfully. Yeah, respectfully, of course. I'm your mom. But anyways, but yeah, that that communication.

SPEAKER_00:

She says that too.

SPEAKER_01:

That communication is crucial. You know, uh, three uh have older children who are married and have their own families, and one that's not marrying just out there. And you know, you don't, it's you don't always know what's going on in their life. And it's okay to check in every once in a while. It just makes me think about just recently, I tried calling my 32-year-old, usually he's very good about calling me back. I didn't get a call back, didn't get a call back. And so then I don't like to be annoying, right? These are the things I try to be mindful of too. And so then I just send a text. I'm like, hey, just thinking about you, that is all. Like, I don't want to think I'm checking up on him, you know, what do you got going on? What do you got? I'm trying to, you know, get all up in his business. So it, you know, it's really just as simple as just checking in on you, just thinking about you, hope all is well. And then he called me. You know, but yeah, the communication.

SPEAKER_00:

I have had to like check myself with Michelle just even recently on things where she was like, that's not your business, you need to stay out of it. And I was kind of like, really? Yeah. But yeah, but it's true. I checked because it's like when you see your one of your kids and their heart might be hurt, or you don't you were trying to protect them, and I'm like, she's absolutely right.

SPEAKER_01:

There's those lines, yeah, of where, yeah, because you continue wanting to protect them to your point. You continue wanting things to come out for what's best, and how can I help facilitate this outcome so that it is good for everybody, not always our place to do that.

SPEAKER_00:

That's exactly what you said. I think you did your hands like that.

SPEAKER_01:

Not always our place, yeah, to do those things. And this is how they learn and they grow and they learn how to handle situations and feelings and all that stuff. And then if it is hurt and not the way that we tried to facilitate it outcome as, you know, because we let them handle it on our own, that allows them the opportunity to then lean on us for the support that we would like to give them. And then we can judgment. Yeah, then it's that place of yeah, that parent child communication.

SPEAKER_00:

So taking care of your body.

SPEAKER_01:

Holy smokes. Yeah, it is, especially your mind, honestly. I mean both body and mind, but without getting into a bunch of, you know, physically healthy, all of that stuff. Physical activity and emotional wellness, just in a nutshell. What are some of the things that you do, Julie, for that?

SPEAKER_00:

For well, physical, as you know, it's like, well, I just started trying, I tried Pilates and I love it. It's good for me because I'm able to kind of slow my brain down. I have my brains going a mile a minute all the time, and it's yeah, it forces you to focus on things differently. I found that's helpful. And then of course, you know, kickboxing I love because it just gets you moving. And but there's plenty of other things that you can do, you know. I mean, you could have weights at home. I'm not very good at that. I have weights, but I just look at them when they're at home.

SPEAKER_01:

Trip over them, look at them.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, trip over them, look at them. You know, a challenge. If you're kind of a type A person that really likes focused challenges, maybe you're a runner, maybe you want to do a half marathon, or you want to do an Iron Man, or you know, it that's a personality type, I think, that really enjoys that kind of thing. That's really not my jam at all. But there's all kinds of things, just even going for a walk. Going for a walk, yeah. Having a dog, obviously, because it's right. Yeah. So want to have a dog, please adopt. Yeah. No, there's lots of different things that you can do. Well, and I'll get yourself moving. And and when you're you know in the throes of your 30s or 40s, go join like a soccer team or there's all kinds of startup stuff, volleyball. You know, you can do it with your partner, you could pull softball. I mean, there's just so many things you can do that you can involve even the whole family. Yeah, yeah. So just a shallow fine.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, that's what I was gonna say. I think a lot of that physical activity helps with the emotional wellness, right? Just think about if, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, man, on the west side, we get rain, I don't know how many days of the year, but it's a lot. And it when it gets to be this season of fall and winter, and it's dark and it's cold and it's rainy and all the things, and it feels really good to stay inside and do nothing. We're gonna make soup and don't do anything. Yeah, just like all of that, right? But if you do that too long and too many days in a row and you just like get all up in your mind about it, starts affecting your mental capacities and how you're feeling emotionally. So, you know, activity, even if it's I mean, I know this sounds silly, but just go in, it doesn't have to be exercise. Go to happy hour with somebody after work, right? Go meet up with somebody and do some holiday shopping or meet up with somebody and just go shopping for yourself, whatever it might be, any outward activity is gonna help with your emotional wellness. And if you buy those shoes or that handbag, that's gonna help as well.

SPEAKER_00:

So like I'm going to a comedy show tonight. Yeah. Like laughter is probably one of the best of medicine, you know, you can have. It's like just any kind of laughter is is good. I love comedy. Going to comedy shows and things, and so that's kind of a fun way to just just release a little bit.

SPEAKER_01:

Or just watch some ridiculous, very predictable Hallmark holiday movies.

SPEAKER_00:

I love them. But I'm kind of a hopeless romantic.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I but you know, it's just like mindless, but feels good and you know, it it helps with those kinds of things, right? Eat popcorn in bed and don't brush your teeth. I don't know, but just throw caution to the wind and be reckless, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Have fun with that, I guess. Yeah, it's like just kind of have fun with it because it's like you don't have to be doing the same thing all the time.

SPEAKER_01:

And an empty nest, just like a food for thought, empty nest does not mean empty life. There is a lot that you can fill up your nest with, even though the kids may have emptied out. Like spread your wings and fly, fill it up, gather friendships, gather, yeah, relationships, partnerships, all of the things that we have been talking about. Hopefully, in some way, shape, or form, it has helped you. We are grateful for our spicy midlife community. We love that you are here. We love that you're listening. If you haven't checked us out on TikTok, please do it. We are now up on YouTube and all the socials. We are out there.

SPEAKER_00:

So community coming. We've been talking about our community a lot. We're we've been preparing it. We're really excited about this. It's gonna be coming to you soon. You'll be able to see some stuff that's not only on the socials, but we'll be tuning up.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So yeah, excited about that. All right, everybody. Till next time. Bye. Peace bye.