Get Sleepy: "A Sleepy Meditation for Transition" (New Year's 2026 Bonus)

Host: Thomas (Slumber Studios)
Date: December 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This New Year's bonus episode of Get Sleepy offers a calming guided meditation meant to soothe listeners as they navigate personal transitions. Host Thomas introduces a meditation—written by Ann—designed to support those facing changes, whether related to the calendar year, career moves, relationships, or other significant life shifts. The episode guides listeners through a gentle body scan, reflective prompts, and an exploration of the three classic stages of transition: ending, neutral zone, and new beginning. Throughout, the mood is soft, reassuring, and embracing of uncertainty.

Key Points & Discussion Breakdown

1. Welcoming the Listener and Setting the Theme

[01:28]

• Thomas welcomes listeners, wishing them a happy and healthy New Year.
• Presents the meditation focused on transition, particularly resonant as the year comes to a close.
• Quote:

  “Passing from the old year to the new can also feel like a transition. For some of us, it’s a moment to make changes in our lives…Whatever kind of change you’re going through, this meditation will help you navigate it.”
  — Thomas [01:45]

2. Settling In: The Body Scan

[03:00]

• Listeners are invited to get comfortable, close their eyes, and notice current thoughts and sensations.
• Encouragement to accept wandering thoughts without judgment.
• Focus increases mindfulness of bodily sensations, such as tingling in feet or hands, and practicing gently returning attention to the physical present.
• Quote:

  “Our bodies can’t help but be in the present moment…Notice what parts of your body feel most active…what sensations you feel.”
  — Thomas [03:30]

3. Connecting Sensations and Emotions

[06:10]

• The meditation suggests that physical sensations and emotions go hand-in-hand (clenching when upset, softness when at ease).
• Listeners are guided to shift attention to their emotional state, especially concerning any current life transition.
• Prompts to observe emotions—excitement, fear, confidence, hope—and how these show up physically (e.g., flutter in the stomach).

4. Reflecting on Transition: The Three Stages

a. Stage One: The Ending

[08:20]

• Transitions start with an ending. Endings can be dramatic or gradual, chosen or forced, quick or years in the making.
• Acceptance of what needs to be released is emphasized as the foundation for growth.
• Quote:

  “Acceptance allows us to evolve into the next version of ourselves.”
  — Thomas [09:10]

• Listeners are gently encouraged to consider what is ending or needs to end.

b. Stage Two: The Neutral Zone

[10:00]

• The “neutral zone” or “limbo” is the ambiguous middle, when the past is gone but the future is unclear.
• Acknowledges discomfort in not knowing, but reassures listeners that resisting this stage can prolong uncertainty.
• Emphasizes patience, openness to experimenting, and learning from others.
• Quote:

  “A caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly overnight. Like caterpillars and other creatures, we go through our own metamorphoses all the time.”
  — Thomas [11:30]

• Self-compassion is urged for those currently in this uncertain phase.

c. Stage Three: The New Beginning

[13:20]

• Once acceptance and reflection have occurred, the new beginning emerges: the metaphorical butterfly, the arrival of spring.
• All three stages—ending, neutral zone, new beginning—are depicted as crucial and valuable.
• Listeners are asked to reflect on where they currently are in this process.

5. The Challenge and Beauty of Change

[14:10]

• Recognizes the emotional intensity of transitions—grieving what’s gone, sitting with uncertainty, the excitement and anxiety of starting fresh.
• Emphasizes that every person has navigated past transitions and grown from them, even those that once seemed negative.
• Quote:

  “All the transitions you’ve undergone have helped shape the complex, beautiful, ever-evolving person that you are today.”
  — Thomas [15:10]

• Reflects on the naturalness and necessity of letting go.

6. Finding Beauty in Every Stage

[16:00]

• Vivid nature imagery: clouds releasing rain, trees dropping leaves.
• Encourages embracing the present moment—even if it’s painful or unclear—highlighting the subtle beauty in endings and periods of uncertainty.
• Quote:

  “There is beauty in where you are right now, even if it doesn’t really feel like it. There is beauty in this place of uncertainty, of murkiness, of mystery.”
  — Thomas [17:05]

• Listeners urged to let themselves fully experience their present, trusting that growth and clarity will emerge.

7. Reassurance and Closing Wishes

[18:20]

• The tone is warm, encouraging, and accepting of discomfort:

  “Wherever you are in your transition, know that it’s perfectly okay. It’s allowed to feel difficult. And it’s also allowed to feel beautiful.”
  — Thomas [18:50]

• Concludes with a hope for “the sweetest of transitions” and a New Year filled with fulfillment.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “Passing from the old year to the new can also feel like a transition… Whatever kind of change you’re going through, this meditation will help you navigate it.”
  — Thomas [01:45]
• “Acceptance allows us to evolve into the next version of ourselves.”
  — Thomas [09:10]
• “A caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly overnight. Like caterpillars and other creatures, we go through our own metamorphoses all the time.”
  — Thomas [11:30]
• “All the transitions you’ve undergone have helped shape the complex, beautiful, ever-evolving person that you are today.”
  — Thomas [15:10]
• “There is beauty in where you are right now, even if it doesn’t really feel like it. There is beauty in this place of uncertainty, of murkiness, of mystery.”
  — Thomas [17:05]
• “Wherever you are in your transition, know that it’s perfectly okay. It’s allowed to feel difficult. And it’s also allowed to feel beautiful.”
  — Thomas [18:50]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:28] — Host Introduction & Theme
• [03:00] — Body Scan and Relaxation
• [06:10] — Exploring Sensations and Emotions
• [08:20] — Stage One: Endings
• [10:00] — Stage Two: The Neutral Zone
• [13:20] — Stage Three: The New Beginning
• [14:10] — Reflections on Transitions (Challenges and Growth)
• [16:00] — Embracing Beauty in Every Stage
• [18:20] — Blessing and Gentle Closure

Summary and Tone

This episode is a nurturing, softly delivered meditation designed for anyone moving through times of change. It weaves together practical mindfulness techniques, compassionate guidance, and evocative metaphors from nature—encouraging listeners to take comfort in the cyclical, evolving nature of life’s many transitions. The tone is gentle, validating, and hopeful throughout, offering both practical guidance and emotional reassurance for the new year and beyond.