How long does it take to feel okay after your kid leaves for college?

I wish I could tell you it's a few weeks. Or even a few months. For me, it took longer than that.

In this episode, I share the unusual way I measured my own progress over the years, and the recent moment that made me realize just how much had changed.

I also talk about why major life transitions can take longer than we expect, why getting back to "normal" isn't the same as being completely through it, and one positive step you can take right now to help yourself move forward.

If you're in those first painful days or months after your kid leaves, this episode is for you.

Because yes... it really does get better.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

Some college parents are reportedly spending thousands of dollars hiring professional designers to decorate their kids’ dorm rooms.

Um… okay.

But this episode isn’t really about dorm rooms.

It’s about what happens when you see someone else’s perfect move-in, the parent whose kid calls every day, or the empty nester who seems absolutely thrilled with their new life—and suddenly you start wondering:

Am I doing this wrong?

In this episode, I’m talking about the empty nest comparison trap, why I think we’re especially vulnerable to it during this stage of life, and how social media has made it almost impossible not to see how everyone else seems to be doing.

And I’ll share one simple trick that might just stop the comparison game cold.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

Your child has left for college. The calendar that once organized your life suddenly has wide-open spaces. And everyone seems to want to know the same thing:

So… what are you going to do now?

But what if you genuinely don't know?

In this episode of Encore Living, I explore what author Jim Collins calls “the fog”—the period of uncertainty that can follow a major life transition when the old path has ended, but the new one isn't visible yet.

For empty nesters, that fog can feel unsettling. But not being able to see what's next doesn't mean there's nothing next.

We'll talk about why you don't need to figure out the rest of your life right now, why this may not be the time to force a huge decision, and how small experiments—from trying a new hobby to reconnecting with people—can help you begin moving forward.

You don't need to see five miles down the road.

You just need to see the next 20 feet.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

Sometimes, starting again doesn’t begin with a plan, it begins with time.

In this episode, I share the story behind something I did last year that surprised me: I wrote a novel in 30 days.

And what writing that book taught me about starting again had very little to do with writing, and everything to do with identity, permission, and this season of life.

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👉 Curious about the in-progress novel I mention in the episode?

Send me a DM on Instagram and just write “I’m reading.” I’ll send you the current draft. IG: https://www.instagram.com/drthor.tv

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If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to join my free weekly newsletter, Encore Living Insider.

That’s where I share reflections like this one, along with what I’m working on next — small ideas, gentle reframes, and prompts to help you navigate this season of life with a little more clarity and ease.

👉 Sign up for Encore Living Insider here: https://insider.drthor.tv

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If you’re in midlife — especially if you’re a parent with a kid now off at college — you might be realizing something strange.

You have time again.

Not "stolen" time. Not five-minute windows. But real, open space.

And that can feel surprisingly uncomfortable.

In this episode of Encore Living, I talk about why starting something new can feel harder after you’ve been really good at something for a long time — and how the story you once lived inside as a parent can quietly shape what you believe you’re allowed to do next.

Using my experience of writing a novel as the lens, I explore three ideas that apply to any midlife beginning:

• Why the stories we tell ourselves about who we are can quietly keep us stuck
• How changing the “container” makes starting feel possible again
• And why identity doesn’t come before action, it follows it

This episode isn’t about productivity or reinventing your entire life.

It’s about what happens when a big chapter ends… and you suddenly have time to spare.

If you’re an empty nester, a midlife parent, or someone standing at the edge of a new beginning, unsure where to start, or worried about betraying who you’ve been, this conversation is for you.

As I share in the episode, sometimes the best way to become who you want to be isn’t to decide everything in advance.

It’s to take one honest step… and let a few people see you while you’re becoming.

P.S. If someone came to mind while you were listening, feel free to share this episode with them. Sometimes the most reassuring thing we can offer is a reminder:

You’re not behind. And you don’t have to decide everything yet.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

After a big chapter ends, the hardest part isn’t knowing what’s next. It’s giving yourself permission to pause.

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If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to join my free weekly newsletter, Encore Living Insider.

That’s where I share reflections like this one, along with what I’m working on next — small ideas, gentle reframes, and prompts to help you navigate this season of life with a little more clarity and ease.

👉 Sign up for Encore Living Insider here: https://insider.drthor.tv

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After a big chapter ends, there’s often a quiet moment no one prepares you for.

The kids are grown.
A career chapter closes.
A long season of responsibility winds down.

And instead of relief or clarity, a different question shows up:

What now?

In this episode of Encore Living, I explore that in-between space through an unexpected lens — imagining what Luke Skywalker might have done the day after saving the galaxy in Star Wars.

Not the next movie.
Not the next mission.
Just the day after the big win.

Because chances are, he didn’t immediately try to figure out the rest of his life.

And maybe… you don’t have to either.

In this episode, I talk about three simple, very human things Luke might have done on his day off — and what they can teach us about navigating midlife transitions without rushing ourselves:

• Why rest often shows up after a chapter ends, not during it
• Why celebration isn’t indulgent — it’s acknowledgment
• And why putting the world in “airplane mode” can create space for something new to emerge

If you’re a parent or empty nester who’s feeling unsettled, reflective, or quietly wondering what comes next, this episode is for you.

As I share in the episode, the pause between stories isn’t a problem to solve — it’s a space to inhabit.

Here’s a simple question to sit with after listening:

Which part of Luke’s day off do you need most right now?

Not what would impress anyone.
Not what would make sense on paper.

Just what would help you honor what you’ve already lived.

P.S. If someone came to mind while you were listening to this episode, feel free to share it with them. Sometimes the most reassuring thing we can offer is the reminder: You don’t have to decide everything yet.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to join my free weekly newsletter, Encore Living Insider.

That’s where I share reflections like this, along with what I’m working on next — small ideas, gentle reframes, and prompts to help you navigate this season of life with a little more clarity and ease.

👉 Sign up for Encore Living Insider here: https://insider.drthor.tv

When your kid goes back to school, it can stir up more than we expect.

They’re stepping into a new semester — new classes, new routines, new conversations — while you’re left asking a quieter question:

What about me?

In this episode of Encore Living, I explore a simple but powerful idea:

What if, instead of trying to figure out the rest of your life, you thought of this season as your own semester?

Not literally going back to college. No dorms. No degrees. No student loans.

But borrowing the way college actually works — experimenting, changing your mind, learning as you go — and applying it to midlife.

In this episode, I talk about three things college already taught us, and how they can bring relief right now:

• Why declaring a major doesn’t have to be permanent
• Why dropping a class isn’t failing — it’s information
• And why you’re allowed to have at least one thing you love in your life again

If you’re a parent or empty nester who’s feeling stuck, restless, or quietly wondering what’s next — this episode is for you.

As I mention in the episode, your kid isn’t trying to solve their entire future this semester.

They’re focused on the next few months. And maybe you’re allowed to do the same.

Here’s a simple question to sit with after listening:

If the next 15 weeks were your semester… what would you explore?

Not what would impress anyone. Not what would make sense on paper.

Just what feels worth showing up for.

P.S. If someone came to mind while you were listening to this episode, feel free to share it with them. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can say is, “You’re not late — you’re just in a new semester.”

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to join my free weekly newsletter, Encore Living Insider.

That’s where I share reflections like this, along with what I’m working on next — including a free upcoming bonus called “99 Ways to Celebrate You.”

👉 Sign up for Encore Living Insider here: https://insider.drthor.tv

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January has a way of rushing us forward before we’ve had a chance to look back.

In this episode of Encore Living, I talk about why—especially if you’re a parent or empty nester—this might actually be the perfect moment to pause and celebrate what you’ve already lived through.

Not in a forced, confetti kind of way. But in a grounded, honest, “that mattered” way.

If your house feels quieter than it used to…
If your kid just went back to school…
If you’re feeling a little behind heading into the new year…

This episode is for you.

As I mention in the episode, before you decide what comes next, make a list of the most memorable things you did last year.

Big things. Small things. Moments that took energy, courage, or heart.

To give you a sense of what I mean, here’s my list from 2025:

🗽 NYC for my birthday
🎭 Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway
🖼️ NYC museums
📚 Taught an 8-week Let Them Theory class
🌴 Cabo villa (with a chef!)
🇫🇷 Traveled through France for 12 days
🪖 Normandy
🙏 Finished a year-long spiritual program
✍️ Wrote my first novel in 30 days
🔥 Led Whatever It Takes (30 days)
🎓 Ordained as a minister
🚪 Retired after 8 years
🎉 Made it to 2026

When I put it all in one place, I didn’t feel behind anymore. I could actually see what I did. And celebrate it.

After you make your list, ask yourself:

What kind of person does this list describe?

Then finish this sentence:

“I’m the kind of person who…”

P.S. If someone came to mind while you were listening this, feel free to share the episode with them.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to join my free weekly newsletter, Encore Living Insider.

That’s where I share reflections like this, along with what I’m working on next — including a free upcoming bonus called “99 Ways to Celebrate You.”

👉 Sign up for Encore Living Insider here: https://insider.drthor.tv

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There’s a moment in early January when you’re putting away the holiday decorations and you suddenly stop.

You’re holding an ornament.
Or a wreath.
Or maybe a holiday mug you don’t even remember buying.

And you think:
Why do I own this?
And maybe… do I still need it?

In this episode of Encore Living, I talk about how that moment—packing things away after the holidays—can become a powerful metaphor for this season of life, especially if you’re an empty nester (or close to it).

Because January isn’t just about putting away decorations.
It’s about deciding what you’re ready to stop carrying forward.

If your house feels unusually quiet…
If your kid just left after the holidays and won’t be back for months…
If January feels heavier than you expected…

This episode is for you.

January invites us to do more than declutter our homes.

It gives us permission to ask:

• What beliefs am I done carrying?
• What pressures no longer belong in this season?
• What part of me feels ready to wake up again?

Not forever.
Not dramatically.
Just… for now.

Putting something away doesn’t mean erasing your past.
It means making room for what’s next.

Reflection questions from the episode

You might want to sit with these slowly, or come back to them later:

• What belief from last year am I ready to put away for now?
• What pressure am I carrying that doesn’t belong in this season?
• What small part of me feels ready to wake up again?

January isn’t asking you to have everything figured out.
It’s just asking you to clear a little space.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com