Happinest: Finding Fulfillment When Your Kids Leave Home

by Judy Holland

An empty nest does not have to be an empty life. Judy Holland shows you how to get back in touch with yourself, your partner, your life, AND your kids when the house is less-populated. The transition to the empty nest creates a void that can catapult you into existential crisis. Your zeal for climbing the career ladder, striving for social status, and collecting material things starts to subside, as is common in middle age. Friends and relatives may suffer from illness or pass away, bringing jarring reminders of mortality that trigger a need to make sense of it all. HappiNest helps you traverse this passage with grace by distilling the latest social science research and drawing from hundreds of interviews with those who have gone before you. Whether you're seeking a renaissance in your romantic relationship, dealing with a boomerang child at home, or figuring out how to support aging parents, this book is for you. HappiNest explores a variety of challenges that arise when the house is suddenly empty or emptying, and Judy Holland provides tips and tools for managing the emotions and realities of this new life stage. From dealing with friends, career transitions, rekindling love or leaving a marriage, to reconnecting with genuine interests and passions, this road map will help guide you. There are hills, valleys, thickets, briar patches, and ditches ahead, as well as waterfalls that resolve into pristine ponds. With mindfulness, hard work, and knowledge of experiences, research, and wisdom from seasoned empty nesters, you can create the most golden phase of your life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

176 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2020

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

HappiNest: Finding Fulfillment When Your Kids Leave Home by [Holland, Judy]I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I do with that I had this book when my kids left home. Judy Holland takes a emotional topic and has fun with it. I was afraid that it would be advice and difficult to read but she was able to make it easier with the humor that she put into to help make learning easier.

I think this would be a good book for anyone that will be, or has, faced an empty nest. It will make this time of life a lot better.

[Valery Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that finding the book about this subject is hard because life experiences shape us and we are no longer easy to connect. It’s not the age, it’s our thought process itself, which makes us not simple receivers but rather collaborators to build this thought process. Judy Holland attempted and address well this gap by widening examples with stories by profession, ages, health status, family situations, financial statuses - all had meaning to touch and expose to reader. I felt empowered to have more ideas, framework and most critical - not lonely to be in this phase of life. I must give all 5 stars as a reader, who got a very broad view to branch each independent approach to tune my journey and steer toward what will work the best for me.

[W. Whalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled With Insights for Every Empty Nester

In her first book, journalist Judy Holland has coined a new word with her title HAPPINEST. How do you create a happy empty nest? The answer comes in the pages of this carefully crafted, well-researched and written book.

As Holland explains in the opening pages, “In HAPPINEST, I have distilled research that has been buried in broader studies on aging, romantic love, emerging adulthood, and long-term relationships. I am deeply grateful for these sources who have enlightened me and helped create a pool of wisdom in empty nesting.” (Page 3) …”By reading this book, you too can gain a deeper understanding of how to move gracefully through one of life’s most daunting transitions. As you travel through this new territory, you can use the tools in this book to better navigate the journey ahead.” (Page 5)

HAPPINEST covers the gamut in the area of empty nesting—even including a chapter called “The Dreaded D Word: Divorce.” This book is practical, engaging and useful for every empty nester. Well-crafted subheads are scattered throughout this book. I loved how Holland distilled all of her careful research into summaries and action steps in the final chapters. I highly recommend HAPPINEST.

W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his latest 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good insights, but rather disorganized and meandering with some random and possibly even questionable advice. For instance, empty nest couples should "travel by bike, train, plane, and on foot rather than going by car" and women should use a double date to "air difficult issues with their mates, who may otherwise avoid them." She also spends a lot of time talking about how common it is for young adults to need to return to the nest temporarily. That was a good thing for me to add to my expectations for our experience going forward, but her advice boiled down to, "It's different for everyone, and you have to figure it out as you go." Overall, not really what I was looking for in an empty nest book. I was hoping for some more concrete advice on how to decide what to do with the rest of my life. It was nice to be reminded, though, that whatever the future holds for our family, we're not alone. It's all part of the process.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids haven't flown the nest yet, but this book gives me an idea of the possibilities of what's to come. I enjoyed the stories and humor in HappiNest. I found that many of these ideas apply to the whole journey of raising kids; one that is full of bumps, unexpected turns, and abrupt stops. Judy has created a road map and a guide on what one might expect on the journey and eventual arrival to the empty, albeit happy, nest.

[John Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew navigating the Empty nest would be challenging. But, I didn’t know how much fun and rewarding it can be. Judy Holland presents advice, stimulus and science to help us move through this unique phase. Excellent!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful, easy to read book. It gives many different perspectives and several ideas on how to reinvent yourself for your next phase of life!! It also made me feel better and more connected with the feelings and things I have been going through as an "almost" empty nester.

[Lisa Weldy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.9

[Deborah McCoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Useless

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Rowman & Littlefield in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have now read a lot of self-help books and an abundance of them focused on happiness and a positive mindset but, I do have to say I loved the approach Judy Holland took with this book because she made a serious topic very whimsical and fun and that made it even more fun to read and especially a lot more fun to learn. I have never met a doctor and/or specialist that takes a negative outcome such as Divorce and put a positive spin on it making the client/reader feel that it was the right decision and that it is all for the best.

We will consider adding this title to our Self-Help collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.