Welcome to Living Well Daily, the newsletter serving up a daily dose of care designed to support you, cheer you on and remind you, always, just how wonderful you already are.

In Today’s Edition:

We are sending you a gigantic hug.

You are amazing, and we hope this week is wonderful for you 💜

Caring deeply is a beautiful trait, but when the world feels heavy, that care can turn into emotional overload. The truth is the world needs people who care about creating change, who will stand up against what’s not right; however, without caring for ourselves too, that care can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious/secondary trauma.

When we hit that point of deep burnout, not only is our physical and mental health suffering, but it’s also easy to slide into hopelessness, indifference, and inaction. So, let’s make restoration and self-care a part of our lives, allowing collective care and action to continue sustainably.

The goal isn’t to stop caring, it’s to care in a sustainable, humane way that lets you stay present for the long run.

Ways to care without collapsing:

•🧠 If you’re feeling emotionally responsible for everything:
→ Try reframing: I can care deeply without absorbing the weight of it all.
•📱 If you’re feeling pressure to consume constant bad news:
→ Give yourself permission to set “news windows” instead of all-day exposure.
•💔 If you’re feeling guilty for resting or enjoying life:
→ Remind yourself: Rest and joy help me stay resourced enough to keep caring.
•🌊 If you’re feeling emotionally flooded by suffering:
→ Practice “containment”: Let yourself feel compassion without consistently reliving the pain.
•🕯️ If you’re feeling like you’re not doing enough:
→ Choose one small, meaningful action instead of trying to do everything. Our actions, combined, add up to significant change.

Caring is powerful, but you don’t have to burn yourself as fuel for the world. Sustain yourself and sustain meaningful action.

✅ Action step: Ask yourself, “How can I stay compassionate without abandoning myself?”

^{Love, Lola Graham}

When your nervous system is dysregulated, your body can get stuck in fight-or-flight mode, which raises cortisol, increases inflammation, disrupts sleep, impairs digestion, and worsens anxiety or low mood. Chronic dysregulation is also linked to higher cardiovascular risk, weakened immunity, and burnout.

The good news is that you can restore balance and resilience to your nervous system. Research supports these approaches:

1. Slow breathing: longer exhales activate parasympathetic activity and improve heart-rate variability.

2. Gentle movement: walking or yoga reduces stress markers and supports autonomic balance. I personally find it useful to remind myself during these practices to relax and enjoy the moment rather than treating them as something else to check off on my to-do list.

3. Sensory grounding: focusing on present-moment sensations reduces emotional reactivity and stress. Like listing 5 things you currently see, 4 things you currently feel, 3 things you currently hear, 2 things you currently smell and 1 thing you currently taste.  

Regulating your nervous system can make a big impact on mental and physical health.

✅ Action step: Practice slow breathing for 2 minutes today, inhale for 4 seconds through your nose and then exhale slowly for 6 seconds through your mouth. Notice how you feel before and afterwards.

Sources: PMID: 17615391, PMID: 26228429, PMID: 25101026

^{By: Joshua Graham}

^{A gentle prompt to help you create small feel good moments of beauty, appreciation, and delight.}

Notice one tiny moment of beauty today: a colour, a sound, a detail. Pause and let it brighten your inner world.

Before you go, let us know what you thought of today’s edition and if there are any subjects you would like us to cover in the future reply to this email and let us know!

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With love and care,

Lola & Joshua | The Living Well Team

^{Living Well Daily is for educational purposes only and is in no way a substitute for professional medical and mental health advice and diagnosis. Please consult a qualified professional for care unique to your needs.}

^{Remember: It’s okay to ask for help. Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 (Canada & US).}