Mid-Game Strategy for Lower ELO players

Hi guys, I'm rated 1500-1600 right now on the site, and one thing I've noticed is that many players at my level tend to play fine in the opening, maybe not great, but understand some lines and variations and how to respond to threats, developing pieces, etc. But when they really start to do poorly (me included) is getting into the middlegame, when there might not be a clear threat or attack to guide the moves. I notice when in my games that I or my opponent often find ourselves wasting tempo just because we don't know how to continue the position well. Another continuation of this idea is that players at my level tend to offer and accept trades almost instinctively, simply because you're less likely to get behind or fall for a trap if you make even trades.

So how would someone like me go about trying to learn strategy dealing with getting further into a game? Any tips that you have noticed from your own games or games of lower rated players?

Thats true tho. recently i have been playing tarrasch defence, it leads to a very closed game and me just playing silly moves cuz i dont know the tatics of the defence that i am playing. so bottom line, study tactics more?

Thanks bb gum those were really useful ideas.