Between Years: Finding Your Footing in the In-Between Days
- Shivalika Dhruvchand Srivastav
- Dec 30, 2025
- 6 min read
By Coral Health | December 30, 2025
The Strange Space Between Christmas and New Year
It's December 30th. Christmas is over. New Year's hasn't started yet.
You're in that odd, suspended space where time feels simultaneously rushed and stagnant. The year is ending, but not quite over. You should be planning, but you're too tired. You want to rest, but you feel guilty about it.
Welcome to the "between days"—the most overlooked and often hardest part of the holiday season.
While everyone else seems to be either celebrating or already transforming into their "new year, new me" persona, you might be feeling:
Exhausted from the holidays but pressured to feel excited about 2026
Relieved the year is ending, but anxious about what's next
Wanting rest but drowning in "year-end reflection" and "goal-setting" content
Confused about how you're supposed to feel right now
If that's you, this post is your companion for the in-between.
Why December 30th Feels So Weird
The Expectation Sandwich
You're caught between two massive cultural expectations:
Behind you: The pressure to have had a "perfect Christmas."
Ahead of you: The pressure to have an "amazing transformation" by January 1st
Meanwhile, you're just... here. Tired. Neither celebrating nor planning. Just existing in liminal space.
The Productivity Guilt
Despite everything in your body screaming for rest, the messages around you say:
"Use these days to plan your best year yet!"
"10 things to do before January 1st!"
"Year-end reflection workbook!"
"Map out your 2026 goals NOW!"
And if you're not doing any of that? You feel like you're already failing at the new year before it even begins.
The Emotional Hangover
The holidays are emotionally intense:
Family dynamics (good or complicated)
Financial stress that just happened
Work pressure that just ended
Social obligations you just survived
Grief that just got amplified
You don't snap back from that in 48 hours. But somehow, you're expected to.
What You Actually Need Right Now
Not inspiration. Not motivation. Not another productivity hack.
You need permission.
Permission to Just Recover
These in-between days aren't for grand transformations. They're for:
✓ Sleeping in without guilt
✓ Doing absolutely nothing productive
✓ Eating leftovers in your pajamas
✓ Watching mindless TV
✓ Ignoring your email
✓ Not having plans
This is recovery time. Treat it as such.
Your body and mind just navigated an emotionally complex, socially demanding, financially stressful few weeks. Probably while still working full-time.
Permission to Not Know Yet
"What are your goals for 2026?" "What are you doing differently next year?" "Have you made your resolutions?"
It's okay to not know yet.
You don't have to have your whole year figured out by January 1st at midnight. That's an arbitrary deadline created by a calendar, not a requirement for success.
Some completely acceptable things:
Not having goals yet
Wanting to see how January actually feels first
Deciding to focus on maintenance instead of growth
Choosing rest over ambition for a while
Not knowing what you want
Wisdom doesn't arrive on schedule.
Permission to Feel However You Feel
There's no "right" way to feel on December 30th.
You might feel:
Relieved the year is ending
Sad it's over
Anxious about what's next
Completely numb
Surprisingly peaceful
Overwhelmingly tired
Oddly emotional
Absolutely nothing
All valid. All normal. All okay.
You're not failing at the in-between days if you're not feeling inspired, motivated, or optimistic. You're just being human.
Practical Strategies for the In-Between Days
If you need something to do (but not pressure), try these gentle approaches:
1. The Gentle Inventory (Not a Review)
Instead of forcing yourself to "review 2025, try gentle noticing:
What made me smile this year?
What was harder than I expected?
What surprised me?
What do I want to remember?
What am I ready to release?
No judgment. No analysis. Just noticing.
2. The One-Word Intention
Forget elaborate goal-setting. What's ONE WORD you want to guide 2026?
Examples:
Boundaries
Rest
Courage
Joy
Release
Gentle
Authentic
Enough
That's it. One word. You can adjust it later.
Having a gentle compass is different from having a rigid map.
3. The Completion List
Instead of focusing on what you didn't achieve, acknowledge what you DID complete:
Projects you finished
Difficult conversations you had
Days you showed up despite struggling
Relationships you maintained
Challenges you survived
Boundaries you set
Help you asked for
You did more than you think.
4. The Boundary Audit
Use these quiet days to notice:
What drained me this year?
Where did I abandon myself for others?
What patterns do I want to change?
What boundaries do I need in 2026?
Not for self-criticism—for self-protection.
5. The Nothing Plan
Literally plan to do nothing:
December 30th Plan:
Wake up naturally
Eat when hungry
Rest when tired
Do what feels right in the moment
Go to bed when sleepy
This is a plan. A valid, important plan.
If You're Struggling
Warning Signs You Need Support
The in-between days can amplify struggles. Reach out if you're experiencing:
Overwhelming anxiety about the new year
Deep sadness or hopelessness
Inability to rest despite exhaustion
Constant rumination about the past year
Dread so heavy you can't function
Thoughts of self-harm
These feelings are real, and they deserve support.
When Reflection Becomes Rumination
There's a difference:
Healthy Reflection:
"What did I learn?"
"What patterns did I notice?"
"What do I want to carry forward?"
Harmful Rumination:
"Why did I fail so much?"
"I wasted the whole year."
"Everyone else accomplished more."
Replaying painful moments on loop
If you're ruminating, not reflecting—stop. You need support, not more self-criticism.
A Different Approach to the New Year
Instead of Resolutions, Try Intentions
Resolution energy: "I WILL do X, or I've failed."
Intention energy: "I want to move toward X, and I'll be gentle with myself along the way."
Examples:
❌ "I will exercise 5x a week" ✅ "I intend to move my body in ways that feel good."
❌ "I will never miss a deadline." ✅ "I intend to communicate clearly when I need support."
❌ "I will be more productive." ✅ "I intend to work sustainably."
Intentions leave room for being human.
Start Small, Start Kind
If you want to set goals, start with micro-intentions:
January intentions:
Rest without guilt once a week
Say no to one thing that drains me
Ask for help when I need it
Take lunch breaks away from my desk
Sleep 7+ hours most nights
These aren't impressive. They're foundational.
You can't build a skyscraper on shaky ground. Start with the foundation.
What Coral Health Wants You to Know
As we approach 2026, our entire team wants you to remember:
You don't owe the new year your transformation.
You don't have to:
Become a different person by January 1st
Have everything figured out
Be completely healed
Start strong
You just have to keep going—with support when you need it.
Our Commitment to You in 2026
Coral Health will be here throughout the coming year:
✓ When January motivation fades and reality hits ✓ When Q1 stress builds ✓ When you realize your goals need adjusting ✓ When life throws unexpected challenges ✓ When you need someone to talk to at 2 AM ✓ When you just need to be heard
Mental health support isn't a January thing. It's an everyday thing.
Your December 30th To-Do List
Here's your entire to-do list for today:
Be kind to yourself
Rest if you need it
Feel whatever you're feeling
Ask for help if you need it
That's it. That's the list.
Everything else can wait.
Final Thoughts: The Beauty of the In-Between
These strange, suspended days between Christmas and New Year actually hold something valuable:
Permission to just be.
Not perform. Not produce. Not transform.
Just. Be.
In our productivity-obsessed world, the in-between days are a rare gift—a pause button before the rush begins again.
Use them wisely. Which means: use them gently.
Rest now. Reflect gently. Set intentions compassionately.
January 1st will come whether you're ready or not. You might as well arrive as rested as possible.
💚 Coral Health is Here Through the Transition
Available 24/7 📧 Info@coral-health.co 📱 [24/7 Hotline Number] 🌐 portal.coral-health.co
Services Available:
Year-end processing and reflection
Anxiety about the new year transitions
Goal-setting with self-compassion
Stress management strategies
General mental health support
Regional Language & English | Virtual & In-Person Options
Questions for Reflection (Optional, Gentle)
If you want to think about these, wonderful. If not, also wonderful.
How do I actually feel right now? (Not how I "should" feel)
What do I need most in this moment?
What's one kind thing I can do for myself today?
What am I carrying that I'm ready to put down?
What support might I need in early 2026?
No pressure to answer. Just gentle invitations.
About Coral Health
Coral Health is a leading Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, offering 24/7 confidential mental health support. Our licensed counselors provide culturally sensitive care for workplace stress, personal challenges, life transitions, and everything in between.
We believe in supporting sustainable wellbeing—not hustle culture, not toxic positivity, just real support for real humans navigating real life.
