Welcome to 3-2-1 Tuesdays with Better Wellness Naturally- You're Not Stuck. You're Recalibrating.
- Admin
- Aug 12
- 3 min read
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Quick bits of therapeutic info and learning, ideas, concepts, and quotes.
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3: Keys
2: Concepts
1: Quick Article
“The space between who you were and who you’re becoming is where transformation lives.”
3 Keys
Growth Through Transition
Life delivers shifts—some expected, most not. Transitions feel uncomfortable because they are. Yet the in-between space is where the deepest rewiring happens. Each ending or pause is an opportunity to release what no longer serves you and create room for what's next.
Small Moves Compound
During periods of change, the pressure to have it all figured out is intense. You don't need to. What matters is forward motion, even in small increments. Over time, these steps accumulate and guide you toward clarity and the next chapter.
The Doldrums Aren't Dead Space
Transitions offer a rare opportunity to slow down. In my practice, we call these moments the doldrums—that space where it feels like there's no wind in your sails, no visible progress. Taking time to stop, observe, and reconnect with yourself isn't weakness or stagnation; it's recalibration. Reflection allows you to process experiences, identify patterns, and gain the clarity needed to move forward.
A Couple of Concepts
Liminal Space
A liminal space is the “in-between”, the place and space when you’re no longer where you were, but not yet fully where you’re going. It can feel uncertain, even vulnerable. But this is precisely where transformation happens. It’s a space to shed old habits, reassess priorities, and allow yourself to imagine new possibilities.
Psychological Flexibility
Psychological flexibility is the ability to adapt your thinking and emotions to new experiences without judgment. During transitions, this skill helps us navigate uncertainty, make thoughtful choices, and respond with resilience. It’s what allows us to stay grounded, even when life shifts beneath our feet.
A Quick Overview: Liminal Space: Where Transformation Becomes Possible
Transitions are rarely clean.
They're messy, disorienting, and often leave us feeling completely untethered. This is the Liminal Space: the threshold where the old self has dissolved, yet the new hasn't taken form. It feels like being stuck. That's because you are.
And that's exactly what's supposed to be happening.
After decades in trauma resolution, I look at this through the lens of neurobiology. When we disrupt rigid routines and step into the in-between, our brains enter a state of heightened neuroplasticity. You aren't just thinking differently; you're physically capable of forming new neural pathways. Feeling stuck in the liminal space isn't a sign that something is wrong. It's a sign your brain is rewiring.
The Problem with Pushing Through
In the daily momentum of work and expectations, we favor coping over processing. We push through the discomfort, bypassing the integration required for actual healing. We keep moving without arriving anywhere new.
But if nothing changes, nothing changes.
The discomfort you're feeling isn't something to fix or escape. It's information. Taking space to actually process what's happening is what moves you through transition, not what keeps you in it. That means:
Recognizing what's no longer working and why you've kept it in place
Feeling where the transition lives in your body, not just thinking about it
Accessing the internal voice that gets drowned out by the momentum of constantly doing
You're Not Stuck. You're Recalibrating.
If you're standing between what was and what is next, stop treating it like a problem to solve. The doldrums are temporary. The recalibration happening right now is real growth, even if it doesn't feel like it.
References:
Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. — Neuroscience of neuroplasticity, showing how our brains can rewire during periods of change and reflection.
Turner, V. (1969). The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti‑Structure. — Classic research on liminal spaces and the transformative power of transitional phases.
by Laura Weber Garrison, PhD
New Review:
“Reading Damaged Rudders feels like sitting with someone who really cares and really gets it. Dr. Garrison doesn’t sugarcoat, yet she writes in a way that makes the hard truths land with compassion. The mix of research and real-life understanding made me stop, reflect, and actually apply what I was reading. It’s not just another self-help book—it’s a companion for the work of healing.”
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