February 2026 Update

On Play….

I am sitting down to write this update during the biggest snowstorm of the season. It is beautiful and calm, the smallest snowflakes floating down. I have always loved snowstorms. It is the little kid energy from back when you would wake up knowing you had a snow day and a full day of play and coziness ahead. No commitments, no work, just time to pause and enjoy the simplest things in life. Building a snowman, making snow angels, sipping hot chocolate while bundled under blankets. Some of the best things in life.

It has me thinking more about play.

In January, I hosted my first workshop, Finding Alignment. We explored how our energy is impacted by our values. We evaluated the different parts of our lives and what gives us energy and what takes it away. One of the sessions in my coaching platform looks at this as well. I am consistently struck by how many of us, myself included, score very low in play. I do not think that we, as a society, play much anymore.

And who could blame us? There is so much going on in the world.

I also posted last weekend, for the first time, on my social media account about the current situation in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot by federal authorities after protecting a woman being shoved to the ground. This is just one of many real things happening that affect us deeply. For those of us who are helpers, we know this all too well. It is getting harder to provide care as funding cuts continue to challenge even the most sturdy systems. We feel this, and it makes us wonder: is it a privilege to be able to play?

For some, it might be. But when we can, play is important to help ground us. It helps relieve our minds and bodies from heaviness. Play lifts us and brings joy. And I think we need joy. Joy is the antithesis of so much that is happening in the world.

So break out that puzzle. Go make a snow angel. Invite some friends over for dinner and cook something you have never eaten before. Knit a blanket. Try a craft. Do something that brings you joy and maybe share it with others who could use a bit of light right now. Let yourself have just a little time to play and reclaim some of that happy, joyous energy. The rest will be there when you come back.

Wishing you a gentle February and hope for brighter days ahead.

Peace,
Sarah x

January Recap

On January 24, Well by Design hosted its first workshop, Finding Alignment. It was an intimate, thoughtful space to explore how we entered the new year and how our values align, or at times do not align, with where we are putting our energy.

Together, we reflected, named what felt true, and began to create space for greater alignment moving forward. Participants left with clearer language for what they are noticing and the beginnings of meaningful shifts.

On January 10, I attended the launch event for Wellth Society at View Boston. It was a beautiful morning filled with pilates, coffee, thoughtful details (everyone left with flowers!), and an incredible group of people.

I’m so excited for Simone and the Wellth Society community and look forward to gathering again soon.

Pilates at View Boston with Wellth Society on January 10, 2026

Where we’ll be in February

February is a quieter, more inward month for Well by Design.

On February 4, I’ll be attending the Babes in Business Denim & Diamonds networking event at the Great American Beer Hall. It looks like a wonderful opportunity to connect with other thoughtful, creative professionals, and I’m really looking forward to it. If you’d like to join me, you can find tickets here:
https://www.babesinbusinessboston.com/events/babes-bros-the-denim-diamond-social

Beyond that, this month is about digging into behind-the-scenes work and allowing space for rest and reflection. A season for refining, preparing, and letting what’s next take shape thoughtfully.

Workshop Announcement

Brave, Not Broken: Sustaining Courage in Helping work

Brave, Not Broken is a reflective workshop for people in helping professions who carry emotional, ethical, and relational demands as part of their everyday work.

Helpers are often extraordinarily brave. They show up in moments that require presence, discernment, and care, often without certainty and often without enough support. Over time, this can lead to compassion fatigue, values-based strain, and exhaustion that is rarely named or fully acknowledged.

Rather than teaching people how to “push through” or become tougher, this workshop creates space to recognize the courage helpers are already living. It invites us to look honestly at how that courage is being carried and what it is costing.

Together, we will explore how resilience and distress tolerance show up in real life. Where they support meaningful, sustainable work. And where they begin to lead to depletion or disconnection. We will also name the realities of compassion fatigue and moral strain, not as personal failures, but as predictable outcomes of deeply human work within imperfect systems.

The focus is not on fixing people. It is on redesigning how courage, care, and responsibility are held, so that bravery can endure without breaking the person who holds it.

This is a space for thoughtful professionals who want to remain engaged, values-driven, and well. Not just functional.

Saturday, March 21 | 9:30–11:00 AM
90-minute small-group workshop
Investment: $125
Space is intentionally limited

How to Work With Me

As I have been thinking and writing about play, courage, and energy this month, I keep coming back to the women I work with.

So many capable, deeply caring women are doing meaningful work in the world while quietly running on empty. They keep going. They carry a great deal. They tell themselves they will rest later.

My work is about helping you step out of that cycle.

It is about creating space to look honestly at how you are living and leading. About noticing where you are overextending. About reconnecting with what brings you life. About honoring the courage it takes to change patterns that no longer serve you.

I work primarily through 1:1 coaching. It is personal, reflective, and shaped around your real life, not a generic system or one size fits all plan.

I offer a few different coaching pathways so you can choose the level of depth and support that fits where you are right now.

Gold | Clarity & Orientation
3 Sessions
A focused entry point for gaining perspective and direction.

Platinum | Alignment & Momentum
6 Sessions
Designed to support deeper alignment and sustainable forward movement.

Diamond | Integration & Lasting Change
12 Sessions
Signature Coaching Engagement
A high-touch partnership for long-term integration and lasting change.

Each pathway stands on its own. Clients may begin with one and continue as clarity unfolds.

If you find yourself wondering what it might look like to do this work together, the best first step is a conversation.

You can learn more or request a connection call here:
getwellbydesign.com/connect

Or you can simply reply to this email. I read every message.