There’s something worse than bad news: not knowing what the news will be.
It’s a feeling many of us know all too well. You’re waiting for a medical diagnosis. You’ve had a job interview and are wondering whether an offer is coming. You suspect layoffs are around the corner and are asking yourself whether your name will be on the list. You’re waiting to hear if you got into the school you’ve dreamed of attending. Your partner of four years just sent that text: “we need to talk.”
I call this the in-between.
It’s that uncomfortable space between what was and what will be. The outcome hasn’t arrived, but your mind is already working overtime trying to prepare you for every possible scenario.
Sometimes, your imagination runs wild with hope. You envision the new job, the fresh start, the relief of finally having an answer. Other times, it takes you straight to your worst fears. You rehearse conversations that haven’t happened, anticipate losses you haven’t experienced, and try to solve problems you don’t yet know you have.
And somehow, the uncertainty itself becomes exhausting.
Why the in-between can feel so difficult
When we receive difficult news, we may at least have something concrete to work with. We can ask questions, consider our options, and identify the next step.
Uncertainty is different. Without a clear path forward, our minds can fill in the blanks. We may struggle to concentrate, sleep poorly, feel anxious, or lose the motivation to do things that normally bring us joy.
In our careers, this might look like obsessively checking email while waiting for a hiring decision, second-guessing every interaction with a manager, or feeling paralyzed by the possibility of losing a job. We can become so focused on what might happen that we lose sight of what is happening right now.
And that comes at a cost to our well-being.
We cannot always control the circumstances we face. But we can learn to navigate uncertainty without allowing it to consume us.
Here are three practices that have helped me when facing the unimaginable
- Do one thing you can feel good about today.
When the future feels overwhelming, bring your attention back to something you can influence right now.
It doesn’t have to be monumental. Take a walk outside. Prepare a nourishing meal. Finish one task you’ve been putting off. Reach out to someone who makes you laugh. Update your résumé or reconnect with a professional contact if you’re navigating a career transition.
The goal isn’t to distract yourself from reality or pretend everything is fine. It’s to remind yourself that your life is still happening, even while you’re waiting for an answer.
Small, intentional actions can restore a sense of agency when so much feels outside your control.
- Take it one day at a time.
Popularized in recovery circles, this concept helps you to not make a decision that seems hard for the rest of your life. You don’t have to figure out your entire future today.
When we’re anxious, we often try to mentally solve every possible problem before it arrives. But preparing for every hypothetical outcome is exhausting, and it rarely gives us the certainty we’re seeking.
Instead, ask yourself: What do I need to do today?
Not next month. Not if the worst-case scenario happens. Today.
You can make plans without demanding that you know exactly how everything will unfold. Give yourself permission to respond to new information when you have it, rather than living through every possible version of the future in advance.
- Name what you hope for.
This one is especially powerful.
What do you actually want to happen? If you allowed yourself to imagine the best possible outcome, what would it look like?
Name it. Write it down. Give yourself permission to hope.
Think of yourself as the captain of a ship. You can’t control the weather, predict every storm, or guarantee smooth sailing. But you can choose your direction.
Knowing what you’re moving toward gives you an anchor, even when the conditions around you are unpredictable.
In career coaching, this is often where I see clients transform right before my eyes. Before you can build a plan for your next professional chapter, you need to understand what you want that chapter to look like. What matters to you now? What are you no longer willing to sacrifice? What would success look like if it included your health, relationships, and quality of life…not just your job title or salary?
You may not control the outcome of your current situation, but you can begin getting clear about the future you want to create.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to navigate the in-between alone.
If you’re in an uncertain season right now, remember that you don’t need all the answers to take your next step.
You can acknowledge your fears without letting them dictate your future. You can make space for hope without pretending the outcome is guaranteed. And you can care for yourself while you wait.
Sometimes, the most important work isn’t figuring out what happens next. It’s learning how to take care of yourself while you don’t know.
What has helped you navigate the in-between? Your experience might be exactly what someone else needs to hear as they weather their own storm.
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Yvonne Lee-Hawkins is a Holistic Career & Burnout Coach supporting high-performing professionals through career transitions, leadership challenges, and burnout recovery.
You can find out more on her website, or follow her on LinkedIn, Medium, or Instagram.
If you know someone who could use help transforming their career, have them schedule a call here.