Why Healing Is More About The In-Between Than The Breakthrough

When we think about healing, we often picture the big moments — the breakthrough, the “aha” instant when everything suddenly clicks into place. The tearful confession, the life-changing realisation, the triumphant “I’m finally free” declaration.

But here’s the thing: those moments? They’re rare. And honestly, they’re only a tiny part of the whole story.

Healing is mostly about the in-between — the quiet, often messy, unglamorous stretches where nothing seems to change, but somehow everything is shifting underneath the surface.

It’s the slow drip of small choices: choosing to get out of bed on a tough day, to breathe through the anxiety instead of running from it, to whisper kind things to yourself when the world feels too heavy. It’s the days you don’t feel brave or strong or enlightened, but you still keep going anyway.

The internet and pop culture love a good climax. We want the highlight reel. But real healing is more like a long, winding path through foggy forests and rocky terrain, with no clear map or timeline. Sometimes you’ll stumble, sometimes you’ll backtrack. And sometimes, the path disappears altogether and you’re just learning to trust your feet.

The breakthrough moment might feel like a finish line, but it’s really just a checkpoint. The real work — the integration — happens in the slow, often invisible in-between.

This in-between space is where resilience is built. It’s where you learn to sit with discomfort without drowning in it. It’s where self-compassion grows, not from sudden insight, but from persistent kindness to yourself on the hard days.

So if you’re waiting for that big “aha,” know that it’s okay if it doesn’t come today, or tomorrow, or even next month. Healing doesn’t have to be dramatic or fast. Sometimes the quiet, consistent showing up — the in-between — is the bravest, most powerful thing you can do.

And that’s worth celebrating too.