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.

You are a powerful and highly capable person who can create the change they want to see in their own life and the world! 

January 1st can feel like a finish line and a starting line all at once. Everywhere you turn, there’s pressure to reinvent yourself overnight, set flawless goals, break every “bad habit,” and magically reset your entire life in a single day.

But you are not a machine, and your healing, growth, and energy don’t shift because a calendar page turned. The pressure to “fix everything” on January 1st comes from culture, not your inner wisdom. You don’t need to overhaul yourself. You need space, compassion, and time to grow at a pace that honours your humanity.

This doesn’t mean “don’t set goals,” it means “check in with what you really want and need.” Let’s look at how you can bring gentle care into January and, if you are a big goal person, tune in tomorrow for healing your relationship with goal setting.

A kinder approach to January:

✅Action step: Choose one gentle intention for the month instead of a full list of resolutions. Keep it simple: “More kindness,” “More rest,” or “More presence.”

^{Love, Lola Graham}

Research has shown that the westernized style of eating (high-fat, high-sugar) leads to mood dampening and can increase the risk of depression and anxiety.

This style of eating can also increase the impulsive desire to eat these foods, which then turns this into a harmful loop.

Eat a high-fat, high-sugar diet → increased impulsivity to eat → less ability to resist high-fat, high-sugar foods → eat more high-fat, high-sugar foods, etc.

New research by Minke H.C. and colleagues has shown that some of the mood-dampening effects from this type of eating might be able to be alleviated through exercise, including lowering anxiety.

This research was done on rats, not humans, so we shouldn’t take this as gospel. However, when we combine this finding with other research, like a 2024 meta-analysis of over 14,000 participants, which found:

“Exercise is an effective treatment for depression, with walking or jogging, yoga, and strength training more effective than other exercises, particularly when intense…These forms of exercise could be considered alongside psychotherapy and antidepressants as core treatments for depression.”

Exercise can be a powerful way to improve mental well-being and to counteract some of the effects of a westernized diet.

Personally, as someone who has anxiety and has dealt with depression, regular exercise is critical for my mental health. It lowers my stress, anxiety and gives me a lovely mood boost! So I can attest to how helpful it can be.

✅ Action Step: Do a short and honest self-assessment. How have your exercise habits been? Are there any changes or improvements you’d like to make?

^{By: Joshua Graham}

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).}