How I Started a New Hobby After Becoming An Empty Nester

How I Started a New Hobby After Becoming an Empty Nester (And How You Can Do It Too)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my Disclosure.

When it comes to parenting, no one really talks about the emptiness that comes with becoming an empty nester—aka becoming your own person again.

For the last 18 years, you’ve wrapped yourself up in your children’s lives—their needs, their wants—most times forgetting about the independent woman you once were before the kids came along.

Remember that freedom?
Coming and going as you pleased…
Making career decisions based on what you wanted…

Then life shifted, and everything became about creating a stable home for your family.

And now, here you are again.

With time.
With space.
With freedom.

And no clear idea what to do with it.

Because let’s be honest—we may be 80% free… but we are never truly 100% kid-free.

When the Quiet Finally Hit

At first, everything felt amazing.

For about two weeks.

No more:
“Mom, can you help me with this?”
“Can my friend stay over?”
“Mom… Mom… Mom…”

And then—it hit me.

The quiet.

Not peaceful quiet… but still quiet.

I could hear the clock ticking on the wall.
The refrigerator turning on and off.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt both free… and completely unsure of myself.

I was bored.
I was confused.
And honestly, I didn’t know what I should be doing next.

For days, I kept thinking about it—and came up with nothing.

So I just started winging it.

Trying Things… Even When They Didn’t Stick

Eventually, I wrote down a few things I thought I wanted to do.

I tried:

• Investing

• Reading more

• Learning new recipes

And while those were great… they didn’t fully light me up.

It all started to feel a little… stale.

That’s when I realized—I didn’t need to have it all figured out.

I just needed to try something new.

Starting Small (And Giving Myself Grace)

I had to give myself grace.

In my mind, I thought I should know what I wanted this new life to look like.

But the truth was—I was relearning myself in a big way.

So instead of overthinking it, I made a simple decision:

Try new things… and keep what feels good.

Having this much time to yourself again isn’t easy at first.

You’re suddenly planning your day around you—and that can feel unfamiliar.

So I started small:

• Picking up a journal again

• Trying a simple workout at home

• Cooking something new just for fun

• Going for a walk without a destination

It didn’t have to be perfect.

It just had to be mine.

You’re Not Starting Over—You’re Starting Fresh

Doing something for myself changed everything.

I started prioritizing my time in a way I never had before.

There was no pressure.
No expectations.
No one depending on the outcome.

Just me… showing up for myself.

Starting new hobbies gave me:

• A way to reconnect with myself

• A reminder that I still have passions

• A space to grow, learn, and enjoy life again

So if you’re in this season of life, I want you to hear this:

You are not behind.
You are not lost.
You are not “done.”

You are simply being given a new opportunity to focus on you.

And that can be a beautiful thing.

Simple Ways to Start Your Own Hobby

If you’re not sure where to begin, here are a few gentle ideas:

✨ Think about what you used to enjoy before life got busy
✨ Try something you’ve always been curious about
✨ Keep it simple—don’t overthink it
✨ Give yourself permission to be a beginner
✨ Make it part of your weekly routine

Final Thoughts

This season of life isn’t about filling a void.

It’s about discovering a version of yourself that’s been waiting patiently for your attention.

So go ahead—try something new.

You might just surprise yourself.

Tell me in the comments: What new hobby you would love to try?