Shelly's Shares: Empty Nest Grace And Finding Your New Rhythm

Fireworks used to mean block parties, kids in the street, and a house full of noise. This year, Shelly felt something she didn’t expect: she was genuinely okay staying in and watching the show on TV, and that tiny moment opened up a bigger conversation about the empty nest season. 

In this “Shelly Shares” reflection, it is for every parent who feels the ache of kids growing up and living far away, especially when summer schedules make it feel like you’re constantly adjusting. Shelly talks about how time together shifts from quantity to quality, how holidays can stir up nostalgia, and why the empty nest transition can still feel new even when it isn’t “brand new.” We get honest about empty nest syndrome, the emotional wellness roller coaster of visits and goodbyes, and the very real tug of war between missing your kids and enjoying the steady comfort of your own routine. 

We also zoom out to the bigger wellness picture: giving ourselves grace, allowing our identity to evolve, and making room for both sadness and peace at the same time. I share what helps me stay grounded, including faith, self-care, and a gentle reminder that life still holds so much to experience with your partner, your community, and your own goals. 

If this resonates, subscribe to Words of Wellness, share it with a friend who needs it, and please rate and review so more parents can find this message. What part of the empty nest transition are you learning to accept right now?

CONNECT WITH SHELLY:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswithshellyj https://www.instagram.com/momswhoflourish
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShellyJefferis 

A few of Shelly's favorite clean products:

High quality, clean nutrition and beauty products: https://shellyjefferis.isagenix

Clean-crafted wine, free from chemicals & pesticides:
https://scoutandcellar.com/?u=healthyhappyhours

JuJu Non-toxic candles & air fresheners:
https://goodjujucandles.com/?ref=mrtgnygh
Coupon code for 10% off: ShellyJefferis

Thank you for listening to the Words of Wellness podcast with Shelly Jefferis. I am honored and so grateful to have you here and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to follow, leave a 5-star review and share  the podcast with anyone you love and anyone you feel could benefit from the message.

Thank you and God Bless! And remember to do something for yourself, for your wellness on this day! 
In Health, 

Shelly

Transcript

Grace Through Life Changes

SPEAKER_00 0:00

It's important to give ourselves grace and also permission to evolve as the circumstances change and our lives change, and it's just a normal part of this phase of life. Do you get confused by all of the information that bars us every day on ways to improve our overall health and our overall wellness? Do you often feel stuck, unmotivated, or struggle to reach your wellness goals? Do you have questions as to what exercises you should be doing? What foods you should or should not be eating? How to improve your overall emotional and mental well-being?

Welcome To Words Of Wellness

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Hello everyone, I am so excited to welcome you to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries, and I will be your host. My goal is to answer these questions and so much more. To share tips, education, and inspiration around all of the components of wellness through solo and guest episodes. With 35 plus years as a health and wellness professional, a retired college professor, a speaker, and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I certainly have lots to share. However, my biggest goal and inspiration in doing this podcast is to share the wellness stories of others with you. To bring in guests who can share their journeys so that we can all learn together while making an impact on the health, the wellness, and lives of all of you, our listeners. The ultimate hope is that you leave today with even just one nugget that can enhance the quality of your life and that you will, we all will, now and into the future, live our best quality of lives full of energy, happiness, and joy. Now let's dive into our message for today.

Empty Nest Reflections Begin

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Hello, my friends. Welcome back to Words of Wellness. This is our Shelly Shares episode. And I have been thinking a lot about the shift that my husband and I have gone through as parents and experiencing the empty nest phase. And I've talked about this before, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I'll and I'll share why, a couple reasons. One is at this point in time, all three of our kids are pretty far from home. And I'm always so grateful for the time that we have together. I mean, it's just, I really focus more now on the quality of our time together versus the quantity. And I know so many of you can understand that and relate to that. But it's been really on my mind a lot lately.

Fourth Of July Feels Different

SPEAKER_00 2:59

And I think it's because of recently experiencing the 4th of July, and I really found myself kind of reflecting and reminiscing on past years. And you know what was really interesting for me? This is the first year ever that I was perfectly fine staying in, watching fireworks on TV. And I love fireworks. Don't get me wrong, I really do. I love to go outside and see them and watch them. And I still did this year. But it was different, the fact that it was more like I just felt like kind of just being kind of cozy and hanging inside. And that's the first time I've ever had that. So that was a little different, but it was okay. I just, I kind of went with it, even though I still went outside and watched the fireworks. But I found myself just really thinking back to past years when we would have so many different celebrations. Uh, Fourth of July was always, always very, very fun. We'd have block parties, we'd have all of the kids out in the street having fun, playing games. We'd have, you know, we would invite other families over to the house. And it's always been quite a fun spot, our neighborhood, because we have our big park outside of our house, and there's always been a lot of activity and fireworks going on, and you can see that the main fireworks that go off in our area, you can see them from our house, from the street. So anyway, it's just a fun, fun place. And it's just, you know, it's a different phase now. It's a different phase of our lives. And uh it just has got me thinking a lot about this phase of being empty nesters and kind of adjusting to the role, even though it's not new, but I find myself every once in a while thinking about it a little bit more so. And and this holiday, just uh recently having the 4th of July made me think about it quite a bit more lately.

The Push And Pull Of Visits

SPEAKER_00 5:21

And like I say, I think a lot of it is because our kids aren't aren't close to home right now. And you know, that's still an emotional experience. Our youngest was home for a little bit, and it was so great having him home, and now he's gone again to summer ball. And I think that what I want to say, especially for my moms out there and dads as well, is this is an ever-evolving experience. And I think that it's important to give ourselves grace and and also you know, permission to evolve as as the circumstances change and our lives change. And it's it's just a normal part of this phase of life. And not that it's going to be any different. I mean, I don't anticipate our kids ever coming back and living back home at any point in time, although I wouldn't mind that for you know a period of time if any of them needed to do that, that would be quite all right. But this whole season of you know experiencing certain celebrations and holidays a little bit differently. And it's still new, even though it's not brand new, but it's still new, it's still an experience, it's still a transition. And so I guess I want to just share my personal experience with you all and and remind you all that it's okay. You're going to go through seasons and you're going to go through periods of of maybe being sad, missing your your kids, of course, like crazy, but also at the same time being able to embrace different phases of your life. And I think that's the key is being able to come to a place where you can be, okay, there's been a lot of wonderful memories made, and there will be more memories made. And where I'm at right now, I can be accepting of this phase of my life and be at peace with it. Even though, my friends, it's not always going to be easy, believe me. I struggle because, and I know you can relate, those of you who are empty nesters, and in here you are in this phase where it's it's hard when they are away. Then you cut they come home for a little bit and you kind of get into that rhythm and then they leave again. So it's kind of this like uh back and forth sometimes, I feel like okay, all right. Well, I look forward to us getting back into our kind of our rhythm, our routine, my husband and I, but yet at the same time, I miss our kids being here, miss them being home. So I I think if I could share anything, I I just want to say, I think that's normal. Normal, kind of that back and forth and having that little bit of a a tug of war, feeling like getting settled and happy when they're home, but yet they go away and you're sad, but yet it feels good again to get back into your routine, if this makes sense. I hope this is making sense to you all because I'm kind of I'm kind of in it, I'm kind of going through it. And I think it's because it's summertime, so it's a different time of year for us. And like I said, my our youngest son, Braden, was home and then he went to summer ball, and then he's gonna come home again for a short time, like a I don't know, it's gonna be just a short amount of time, and then he's gonna be away again and go away to school. So I think I'm I'm just in that. I'm in that kind of back and forth mode and just kind of just try to go with it. And so I just wanted to share, if nothing else, let you all know that it's I think it's normal and to share with you kind of my personal experience so that maybe some of you who might be going through it um can relate and feel like okay, it's not just me. And I think it's normal. And I think the important thing is to just have faith as we go through these times, and um, yeah, I'm miss, I'm missing my kids. I really, really am. Um yet at the same time, I know we will have some time together soon, and I just look forward to those moments, and I enjoy them so much, and I know for my moms and my dads out there, you can you can all understand that and relate to that. And you know, at the same time, you know, enjoying the time with my husband and enjoying our time together, and there's just a lot of life to experience. I know there's going to be highs and lows. That's part of the experience, that's part of life, right? And especially as empty nesters, you know, it's the excitement of when you're together and then it's a sadness when you have to say goodbye. Um, and then you get into your routine again and and and life is good. And so um, I might be kind of rambling this episode, but I hope for any of you out there listening, I hope some of this resonates, and I hope that if anything, maybe I'm touching some of your hearts out there, and you're you're maybe experiencing the same and and can know that we're

Self-Care And Closing Message

SPEAKER_00 11:30

in this together. We are in it. So, with that being said, my friends, I hope you have a beautiful, blessed rest of your week. Take time for yourself, your self-care, and your wellness on this day. And we will see you next time on Words of Wellness. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. I hope you gained value and enjoyed our time together as much as I did. And if you know someone who could benefit from today's episode, I would love and appreciate it if you could share with a friend or rate and review Words of Wellness so that more can hear this message. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for listening. And if you have any questions or topics you would like me to share in future episodes, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through my contact information that is shared in the show notes below. Again, thank you for tuning in to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries, and I encourage you to do something for you, for your wellness on this day. Until next time, I hope you all have a healthy, happy, and blessed week.