I feel your pain. It's a different part of your life now, and it's a huge adjustment. Lots of women focus so much on their families, we never made time for hobbies, interests, etc.
This is really hard, but you have to get involved with hobbies or interests. I found it difficult to make new friends at this age, so mostly I keep busy going to the gym. I just signed up for a volunteer project too. AND I'm also retired, so believe me, it would be real easy for me to lose my mind dwelling on this all the time. I know it's heartbreaking, my daughter is older now and it's different too. Keep yourself busy. That's the only thing that will save you.

Thank you for your advice . I am having anxiety on and off all day long , if I can get this to stop I can focus a little better. Again thank you for responding

I just joined Daily Strength. I am in the same place. I am weepy every morning. I also have anxiety. I was a stay at home mom so that’s all I know. I don’t let my two young adult children know because they have to live their lives. But I am really sad and this is hard. Hopefully we can talk each other through this?

I work from home but feel like a stay at home mom as well because I have flexibility to take care of my daughters throughout the day. I think it would be great to help one another through this. My first day I cried on and off all day and didn’t sleep at all . Last night I took a Tylenol pm and it helped my get some rest . I try to walk the dog 3 times a day to get out a bit. I have also been focusing on some foods that help with anxiety . I never had anxiety before so I read that excercize, good sleep and healthy foods can help. I am also going to start going to the gym. The big issue is that I put so much time into my kids that I lost most of my friends. I’m not sure how to make friends at 55 now but need to figure this out. Any suggestions?

I am new to this forum. I joined specifically so I have something in common with people. I also am an empty nester. I am sick Over it.
All I know is how to be a mother. I wake up crying every morning. So I know the feeling

I also have two dogs. They also now get more walks.
I do need to find maybe a part time job. But I’ll tell you with my mental state I may not feel like going. I do talk to a therapist btw but once a week at most. It helps while we talk but I feel like I need her living with me.

I am going thru same thing .
My older son lives on his own, and my daughter is now on her third week at college , and I feel so lost! My husband works, or works out, and says off outside doing yard stuff and we don’t do anything together ! I cannot even tell you the last time we went to dinner or had a date night .
I’m trying to figure out if I need to start focusing on myself and find things that I like to do and just do them myself . Idk!
And I’ve found myself doing nothing but stalking my daughter at college on the life 360 app.
I just don’t know what to do with myself

I just joined this forum specifically because of drijoli post. I am also going through the same exact thing ! I am single (divorced ) and just sent my only child, daughter, away to college. I am so happy for her to have the opportunity to have the “college experience” after being online school for the past year and a half…and it was a tough adjustment for her initially, lots of phone calls talking her through the “ I want to come home”, got her settled, now it’s ME who is having the anxiety! I am surprised at how this is affecting me… I wake up having panic attacks, so I don’t sleep well. during the day , I sometimes just have overwhelming thoughts of … is she okay?! I have a phone tracker on her which is a blessing and a curse because it causes even more anxiety when I see she’s out and about with new friends with cars, ugh! I think it would be helpful if we could all just support one another through this, so here I am. Drijoli if you’d like a friend, I am here for you! I don’t know how to exchange contact info (email) on this forum since I just joined. Hang in there everyone

Gina73 - yes, the life 360 app! Lol, same here! It’s like, I want to know she’s okay and at her dorm, but when it alerts me she’s “left home “ or “left school” ok then I’m in panic mode… where are you and who are you with???

I am in the same boat!! It’s nice to know we are all not alone. I am a single parent of a son who just left for college. I also worked from home for my child’s whole life. My son is my whole world. He played sports, did theatre and I was 100% that mom who had no life of her own because I was so happy doing it all for my son. Now that he is at school 4 hours away I find myself spiraling. I knew it was gonna be hard but I never knew it would be this hard. I’m having severe mental health issues now. Anxiety and depression which I’ve never had before. I can’t sleep through the night I wake up to my heart racing. I’m sick to my stomach most the day. Due to the pandemic my financial status changed and I recently had to start new work outside the home which caused even more anxiety. I never had a ton of friends outside of my sons circle and now that he is going to college those soccer/theater parents have disappeared so I have only family as support. Some friends of turned their back on me also because they don’t want to hear how sad I am anymore. Which doesn’t help. I don’t have any local support groups like this so I thought I would be able to reach out to an online group. Any suggestions you have for coping and getting through the day I would greatly appreciate. Thank you so much!