The Inbetween Days

The Moment It Hits

The no-man’s land around the turn of a year. You sleep strangely and scroll through random reels for way too long. You feel relieved and wiped out at the same time, as if you’ve crossed a finish line you didn’t know you were running toward. It all feels a bit weird, stuck in this in-between zone. So you find something to fill the space. Another episode of a show that isn’t even interesting, an online order of stuff you don’t really need. At least you stay busy, because imagine sitting still long enough to really feel it.

What happens next

You try to do something useful. You start “cleaning,” but you’re really just moving things from one spot to another. You check your plants (they’re still fine), you refresh your inbox again “just in case.” It might feel like movement, but it’s really just putting things off, the familiar habit of staying busy. Some friends post their thoughts as if they suddenly cracked the code of everything, but you’re just trying to remember which day the trash goes out.

Why This Happens

It makes sense that these in-between days feel off. It’s a weird mental space many people experience around the turn of a year. Psychologist Meg Jay calls this integration time, a stretch where your mind shifts gears after a year full of input. Not really working, not really resting either. Psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik showed that unfinished tasks keep replaying in your mind until you close them. Neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang found that when external demands drop, the brain turns inward to sort, process and file what the year contained. That quiet sorting can make you feel wired and emptied out at the same time, like an engine that still ticks after you’ve parked.

Shift /

FROM filling the void TO taking time to look back.
You’re not lost, you’re just in between.Your Thoughts

Take a moment to think about these:

• Think back to the special moments of the past year. Is there something big you pulled off, or something tough you got through?

• Think of the people who were there for you when it mattered.

• Is there anything still open, a plan, an appointment, a promise? What feels unfinished and still pulls at you?

Your Next Moves

No big resolutions, just a few things you can do while you settle into the new year.

1. Mark the moment

Meet the person who was with you in that moment, whether it was something beautiful or something hard. It doesn’t need to go deep. Pausing for a moment together can be enough.

2. Thank someone

Let the person who was there for you know you appreciated it. You’ll probably think of someone who did something small or maybe something big for you. Call them to thank them, take them somewhere, or send a simple “thank you for…”. Don’t overthink the words. It’s simply about paying attention.

3. Let go

Walk through your home or room. If you spot something that clearly belongs to the past year, a photo, a note, a book or anything else, you’ll notice it. If it carries a fond memory, keep it, but if it doesn’t make you feel good, get rid of it. Letting go of something physical makes it easier to let it go in your mind too.

4. Get out of your head, into your body

If you find yourself worrying and unable to resolve it, get out of the house and get moving. Go to the gym, the pool, get some fresh air on the beach, run in the woods, anything that gets your heart rate up. Clear thinking usually returns once movement settles your nervous system, because physical activity reduces stress chemicals and frees up mental bandwidth.

Why This Works

These actions help because your mind settles when it can close what’s been hanging open. Organizational researcher Teresa Amabile shows that even small, visible progress restores energy. Psychologist Robert Emmons found that simple acts of gratitude shift your emotional baseline fast, even when nothing outside you changes. Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal found that movement reduces mental load and helps the brain reset after stress. Each closed loop tells your system it can stand down, and each small step makes the next one a bit easier.

Take This With You

These are the in-between days around year-end and the start of a new year. Look back. Celebrate. Close the door on what’s behind you. Thank someone. When that’s all done, moving forward starts to feel easier.