Last year, I noticed a pattern after winter.
During the dreaded “W” season, Aaron and I get a little more sedentary — nothing crazy — just more nights on the couch (binging our favorite shows), an extra cocktail or two midweek, and more snacking “because it’s cold and dark.”
And honestly, what the fuck else do we have to do? LOL.
It’s not a problem… until it starts to be. By late winter, I can feel it — I’m sluggish (outside of my usual self-diagnosed SAD) and a little out of sync with my natural day-to-day flow.
It’s like I slowly trade intentionality for autopilot.
But this year, I’m doing it differently, bitches!
I’m planning ahead with my Future Self in mind.
Zero judgement, I’m just getting honest about it. Awareness is key!
While past me hates the cold and boredom of winter, buffers with snacks, shows, and cocktails — which leaves her with more blah energy and less alignment with how she wants to feel. A.K.A. I buffer my winter blues and boredom away.
Future me has it figured out.
So, in an effort to not recreate “past me” - I’ve jumped ahead, pictured myself in March, pictured my Future Self — clear-headed and ready for spring — and I asked her:
What would YOU thank me for this winter for?
What routines would support YOUR energy?
How would YOU spend evenings without reaching for wine and dip?
And she always answers with the best advice…
She says things like:
“Thanks for not making cocktails a weeknight habit.”
“Thanks for choosing connection and creativity instead of buffering away your boredom and winter blues.”
When my brain says, “Eh, one more cocktail won’t hurt,” my future self says:
“Your future self enjoys a Thursday or Friday night cocktail — let’s save it for then and make it special.”
When my brain says, “It’s dark, might as well grab the dip,” she says:
“Tuesday doesn’t need to be party food night. Let’s make something cozy that still feels good. We can have a planned dip night this weekend!”
She’s not about restriction — she’s about intention.
She doesn’t deprive herself, but she also doesn’t overeat or overdrink to get through winter.
Let’s be honest —a good portion of us use food or a cocktail (or even endless scrolling) to manage our boredom or lack of activities in winter.
It’s dark, it’s cold, and sometimes the highlight of the day is what’s for dinner or what’s in the glass (or what’s online).
Side Note: This isn’t about weight loss. Once I share my tummy tuck blog post, this will make even more sense — but I’ve learned through research and personal experience that my body has a natural weight where it loves to hang out. That natural weight isn’t the version of me who’s overeating or overdrinking — she’s the version who lives her life without restriction but also without buffering.
And honestly, that’s exactly how I help my clients too. We don’t overhaul their diets or obsess over calorie deficits. We look at where they might be overeating, overdrinking, eating their feels, or stuck in diet cycles — restricting during the week, then going ham on the weekends — and instead, we work on mindful, sustainable choices that feel good long-term.
Because when you stop buffering or spinning in the “diet cycle” - you naturally land closer to your body’s happy place —your natural weight.
I’ve learned that buffering — snacking, sipping, zoning out — doesn’t actually make me feel better. It just gets me to spring like, ‘Cool, I made it… but I also feel like ass and slept like shit for 3 months.’
This year, I’m thinking of both versions of me:
My future self in spring who’ll thank me for not buffering.
And the current version of me (in winter) who wants to feel more alive and less sluggish.
Instead of reaching for a snack or another drink because there’s ‘nothing else to do,’ I’m asking: What do I really need in this moment? Or what choice can I make now that will positively impact how I show up tomorrow?
Sometimes it’s a walk, a puzzle, or tea instead of wine. She knows she can feel bored and let it be — or find things that lift her up instead of adding to the blah.
If I can set Winter Me up with that kind of love and care, I know Spring Me is going to feel so damn proud.
If you want to try this too, here are a few prompts from my own journal this week:
What does Future Me thank me for this winter?
What makes me feel cozy without overdoing it?
What would feel good for my mind + in my body come spring — and what supports that now?
How can I spend weeknights connected instead of avoiding my winter blues and boredom?
Because here’s the thing — if you’re not connected to the future version of yourself, even just a few months out, you’re way more likely to make decisions that only feel good in the moment.
You’ll reach for that instant gratification or dopamine hit — the extra drink, the snack, the scroll — but that’s exactly what gets us to the next season asking, “How the fuck did I get here?!”
So I’m not waiting for spring to feel better.
I’m becoming her now — by visualizing what winter looks like for her, and choosing, one cozy, intentional moment at a time.
PS: Coaching + Cocktails: Your Future Self
If you want to dive deeper into this kind of work, I’m hosting an online workshop — Coaching + Cocktails: Your Future Self — where I’ll walk you through this process more in depth.
It can be used for so many things — how you show up during the holiday season, how you move through winter, or even what you want the version of you in 2026 to look like.
Or the everyday stuff — like getting clear on decisions that actually align with your life, not second-guessing everything, or ditching the chase for instant results.
Either way, you’ll leave the call already stepping into this version of yourself — more clear, connected, and confident in who you are becoming.
To register, go here!