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In Today’s Edition:

🥰Well-Being & Self-Care: Urgency Illusion: Escaping Thought Traps for Better Mental Health
💖Longevity & Wellness: Fitness Friday - The Leg Power You Lose First (And A Hack to Keep It)
✨Daily Affirmation & Daily Prompt

Pause for a moment and think of 1 win from yesterday.
It could be big or small, like getting out of bed and getting dressed in the morning.
How you look at and frame things matters.
Look for your wins; you deserve to feel good about yourself!

Urgency illusion happens when your mind treats something as immediate, critical, or requiring instant action, even when it may not actually be an emergency.

In a world filled with notifications, pressure, productivity culture, and chronic stress, many nervous systems get conditioned into a constant state of “right now.” This can create anxiety, impulsivity, overwhelm, and difficulty resting.

Not everything that feels urgent truly is.

Common ways urgency illusion shows up:
• 🚨 Feeling like every problem must be solved immediately
• 📱 Experiencing pressure to constantly respond, produce, or decide quickly
• 🧠 Struggling to slow down because your mind equates pause with danger or failure
• ⚠️ Treating discomfort as an emergency instead of a temporary feeling
• 🔄 Rushing decisions from anxiety rather than clarity

Ways to gently slow urgency:
• 🥠 Ask: Is this truly urgent, or does it just feel urgent?
• 🫁 Pause and regulate your body before reacting
• ⏳ Give yourself permission to take time when possible
• 🌿 Practice distinguishing discomfort from danger
• 💙 Remember that thoughtful responses are often more supportive than rushed ones

Your nervous system may be sounding an alarm, but not every alarm means there’s a fire.

✅ Action step: The next time you feel intense urgency, pause for one slow breath and ask: What actually needs immediate attention here?

^{Love, Lola Graham}

Somewhere after 30 or 40, most people start losing their explosive power, the ability to move quickly and forcefully, faster than they lose their raw strength. That's not just "getting older." It's specific, and it can be prevented.

The reason comes down to muscle fibre types. You have two main kinds:

The fast, forceful contractions are what save you when you trip, misstep, or need to react quickly. Losing it is closely tied to falls and loss of independence later in life. And fast-twitch fibres respond to being used, so if you never train them, you lose them faster. Use them, and you hold onto them.

Here is an easy hack to maintain those type 2 fibres. I learned this from my Dad, who is in his 70s and still plays tennis competitively but is chronically late. Because of tardiness, he often runs up the stairs two at a time to get ready. This explosive burst stimulates and activates his type 2 fibres.

You can do this yourself (assuming you have access to stairs at home, at work or in a nearby space); go up as fast as you can at least 1x/day. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, then start by going up faster than normal and each day try to build up speed. 

This simple action can help keep your type 2 fibres nice and active. 

✅ Action Step: Next time you go up the stairs, try to go up faster than normal, and each day try to build up your speed and power. If you are safe and comfortable, you can try 2 stairs at a time, but remember safety first! 

^{By: Joshua Graham}

^{A gentle invitation to integrate lived experience with kindness, perspective, and care.}

Where did you show resilience lately, even quietly?

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).}