The Liminal Space: Navigating Transformation’s Uncomfortable In-Between

The liminal space is a transitional period between two states or stages, often causing feelings of uncertainty, ambiguity, and disorientation. You’re neither here nor there, where familiar surroundings may feel altered and unsettling. My client Sophie (not her real name) found herself dealing with the discomfort of the liminal space…

Sophie thought she’d feel relief after leaving her executive job. For years, she’d known the pace, the politics, and the constant sense of proving herself, wasn’t for her anymore. The day she finally handed in her resignation, she expected to feel free.

But what came instead was a strange kind of emptiness.

She wasn’t the woman in the corner office anymore. But she wasn’t yet the woman she imagined she’d become — running her own practice, waking up with a sense of ease, deeply connected to her values. She was caught in the in-between.

It was restless. Awkward. Disorienting.

And her body felt it. Tight shoulders. A stomach that flipped at odd moments. Sleep that wouldn’t stay steady. Some days she felt energized, other days like she was moving through fog.

This is the embodied experience of liminal space.

Have you experienced the uncomfortable, invisible passage where one version of you is gone, and the next hasn’t fully arrived?  Understanding more about the liminal space will help you keep moving forward, despite the discomfort. Let’s dig in…

Why Liminal Space Feels So Unsettling

Your nervous system is built for predictability. It feels safest when it knows what to expect, what role to play, and what rules to follow. Even if the familiar is painful or unfulfilling, it’s at least known.

In liminal space, those familiar cues are gone. And the body responds. The disorientation and lack of clear direction can stir up a range of emotions and sensations, including:  

• Hypervigilance: scanning for problems or trying to control details.
• Fatigue: from the constant internal effort of managing uncertainty.
• Emotional swings: moments of hope followed by waves of doubt.
• Restlessness: physical discomfort without a clear cause.
• Confusion and doubt: feeling lost or unsure about the future.
• Anxiety and fear: worrying about what will happen next and how to cope.
• Grief and loss: mourning the end of a past situation, relationship, or identity.
• Vulnerability: feeling exposed and unsure of oneself. 

This isn’t weakness or failure. It’s biology.

Your threat detection system (the part of your nervous system that keeps you safe) ramps up when the map of your life feels unclear. The “not knowing” triggers an ancient part of you designed to be on alert in the face of uncertainty.

The Wisdom of Staying in the Unknown

Most high-achieving women aren’t taught how to be in the messy middle. We’re conditioned to rush toward resolution, to make a plan, to find the next goalpost as quickly as possible, to “fix it”.

But here’s what most transformation work won’t tell you:

 The liminal space in between is where real change happens.

This is where your body does the invisible work of reorganizing your nervous system, shedding old patterns, and quietly preparing you for what’s next.

The discomfort you feel isn’t a sign you’re doing something wrong. It’s a sign you’re alive in the process.

How to Support Your Nervous System in the In-Between

The power of the liminal space is ignited when you befriend it. A few ways to soften the edges of the unknown:

Name where you are. Saying I’m in the in-between helps your nervous system register safety through acknowledgment.

Offer your body rhythm and ritual. When life feels unpredictable, mindful daily practices like stretching, walking, and breathing exercises can create islands of safety.

Move slowly. Notice when urgency arises and gently ask yourself: Is this coming from fear or truth?

Anchor to the present. Heighten your sensory awareness (feeling the texture of a blanket, the weight of your feet on the floor, the warmth of a cup of tea) to remind your body it’s here, and it’s okay.

Your body knows how to navigate discomfort. It just needs space, patience, and mindful reassurance.

 “Dream Big, Start Small.” Here’s the one thing you can do today.

Build acceptance for moments of discomfort. If you’re in a season of liminal space — whether leaving behind a job, relationship, belief system, or old way of being — know this:

The discomfort is not evidence you’ve made a mistake.

 It’s evidence that you’re in motion.

This is an essential part of transformation.

The good news is that you don’t have to navigate it alone. My EMERGE Method will help you listen in, find steady ground in your own body, and honor this delicate, powerful moment in between.

 

Thank you for the   photos Daniele La Rosa Messina and Elin Tabitha