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:

🥰Well-Being & Self-Care: Monday Healing Moment: Making Space for Whimsy
💖Longevity & Wellness: How Alcohol Impacts Your Sleep 🍺
✨Daily Affirmation & Daily Prompt

Maybe you, like us, have been told to dampen your light, that it is too bright, too loud, too much, too different. 
That is bad advice; instead…
Let your light shine as bright and as loudly as you’d like; it's your life.
Live it on your terms, not theirs. 

Happy Monday 💛 Let’s begin this week with something a little unexpected… a touch of whimsy (yes, even on a Monday morning)

Take a soft breath in, welcoming in a little spark of life.
And let a light breath out, allowing your body to loosen just a little.

Now imagine your week not as something rigid or heavy…
...but as something with a little movement to it. A little curiosity. A little play.
A touch of something special.

What if not everything had to be so serious?

Let your mind wander for a moment to something small that brings a spark of joy.
A memory that makes you smile just because.
A song you love.
A silly moment.
Anything that speaks playfully to your heart.

Feel how your body responds to that, even a slight softening counts.

Whimsy isn’t about ignoring reality.
It’s about allowing lightness to exist alongside it.

It’s permission to:
Smile when you can.
Laugh when it finds you.
Be a little playful with life.

This week, you don’t have to carry everything so tightly.

You’re allowed to move with a bit of curiosity.
A bit of imagination.
A bit of softness.

Take one more slow breath.
Let it feel just a little lighter on the way out.

Joy doesn’t have to be earned.
Sometimes, it’s simply noticed.

^{Love, Lola Graham}

I drink very rarely, but I recently went to my university roommates' wedding, had some drinks, and my sleep was totally wrecked. 

Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, and in the first half of your sleep might feel fine, but research shows that alcohol causes your nervous system to rebound and disrupt REM sleep.

REM sleep is the stage of sleep where your brain processes emotions and consolidates memory. Alcohol suppresses it, and a 2024 meta-analysis of 27 studies found that even two standard drinks were enough to measurably reduce REM sleep duration. More drinks, more disruption (and I had quite a few).

So even if you get a full eight hours of sleep after drinking, you might end up like me, waking up feeling exhausted. 

The research is clear, alcohol hurts your sleep. So if you’re using alcohol as a wind-down tool before bed, it might be time to look for a different option if you want to wake up feeling rested.

✅ Action Step: If you do have a drink, try finishing it at least 3 or 4 hours before bed to improve your chances of better REM sleep. 

^{By: Joshua Graham | Sources: PMID: 39631226}

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

Pay attention to a moment that feels peaceful, even if it only lasts a few seconds.

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).}