headspace

or head space

[ hed-speys ]

noun

1. Informal. mental state; state of mind: He creates such profoundly rich creative universes, it truly feels like you enter a completely different headspace when you watch his shows.

   Doomscrolling all day puts me in a really bad headspace, so I try to stay away from all that negative news.

   He creates such profoundly rich creative universes, it truly feels like you enter a completely different headspace when you watch his shows.

2. Informal. quiet, private, or contemplative mood or frame of mind: I never listen to music when I’m jogging, since I run for headspace as much as for exercise.

   I spend a lot of the weekend in my own headspace, so I can’t really engage with anything much.

   I never listen to music when I’m jogging, since I run for headspace as much as for exercise.

3. headroom ( def 2 ).
4. empty space left above the contents of a closed jar, can, or other container.

Word History and Origins

Origin of headspace¹

First recorded in 1800–10; head ( def ) + space ( def )

Example Sentences

"It was quite cathartic. You can go into this headspace where you're almost daydreaming," she said of the latter stages of the race.

From BBC

But Waterhouse craved a title that incited joy — something that was the antithesis of her headspace when she created her debut album, “I Can’t Let Go.”

From Los Angeles Times

Steve Kobashigawa, a marriage and family therapist based in L.A., said that when you feel a craving come on, do what you need to do to get into a more positive headspace.

From Los Angeles Times

Fans were told to watch out for her surprise songs, which are often the best way of knowing what headspace she is in.

From BBC

If the pandemic hadn’t happened, Donaldson might not have found the proper headspace to dream up “Good One.”

From Los Angeles Times