How to Cope When You’re in the In-Between Space
How to Cope When You’re in the In-Between Space
This guide is for moments when you’re spending time with a partner while knowing that something important in the relationship feels unresolved. You may be trying to enjoy the holidays or a special event, or just waiting for a better time in your life. You are just hoping to keep things calm, or make the best of shared time, while also carrying hurt, confusion, or uncertainty inside.
These strategies are not about fixing the relationship or forcing clarity. They are about helping you stay grounded, steady, and connected to yourself.
1. Name the reality quietly to yourself. Acknowledging that this is complicated can reduce the pressure to pretend or perform.
2. Lower the emotional bar. This season does not need deep connection or resolution. Respectful, calm, and kind is enough for now.
3. Create moments that belong just to you. Walks, journaling, quiet mornings, or stepping outside can help regulate your nervous system.
4. Allow enjoyment without interpretation. You can enjoy moments of warmth without using them as proof that everything is okay—or that it isn’t.
5. Listen to your body without interrogating it. Fatigue, tension, or calm are information, not instructions you must act on immediately.
6. Protect yourself from emotional over-exposure. You do not need to explain or process your relationship with others unless it feels supportive.
7. Create a future container for hard conversations. Postponing does not mean avoiding; it means choosing timing with care.
Spending time together during the holidays or just to support someone, does not lock you into a future decision. You are allowed to move slowly, gather information, and prioritize your nervous system. Being gentle with yourself in this in-between space is not avoidance—it is care.
If you haven’t yet, read the articles on my blog on this subject:
• The Holidays When Things Aren’t Okay
• When You’re Not Yourself During the Holidays
