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:

The light that burns within you can lift so many others. Share a kind word, a compliment, or a gesture of gratitude with someone today. Notice how lifting others often lifts us too.

There’s a fine line between finding meaning in pain and feeling pressured to “grow” from it. While difficult experiences can shape us in powerful ways, they are not inherently good, necessary, or something to be grateful for. Pain does not need to be justified to be transformed. Making meaning isn’t about saying, “This happened for a reason.” It’s about asking, “What do I want to carry forward from this?” Meaning comes from choice, not from the trauma itself.

You can honor what you’ve learned without minimizing what you lost.

What meaning-making can look like (without romanticizing):

Your pain does not need a silver lining to matter. Your healing does not require gratitude for what hurt you.

✅ Action step: Reflect on one experience that shaped you and ask: What do I want to take with me from this? And, what am I choosing to leave behind? Let meaning come from your agency, not from the pain itself.

^{Love, Lola Graham}

Earlier this week, I talked about how bright light at night can harm health. Today, I’m diving into the benefits of daytime bright light exposure. 

Light is one of the signals your brain uses to regulate mood, energy, and sleep. Bright, natural light, especially in the morning, can boost alertness by suppressing melatonin and increasing serotonin, helping you feel more awake, focused, and emotionally steady. Dim or poorly timed light, on the other hand, can contribute to fatigue, low mood, and disrupted circadian rhythms.

During the winter months, it can be darker out and harder to get morning bright light. Using a bright artificial light can help. We have one that we use during the winter months, which is 10,000 lux, and we spend at least 15 minutes next to it, and it really helps. 

Over time, consistent light exposure patterns shape how your body cycles between wakefulness and recovery. Which is why it is important to get bright light exposure during the morning and day, and then lower your light exposure during the evening. 

✅ Action step: Get at least 10 minutes of outdoor light within an hour of waking (or use a light therapy lamp if it is still dark outside) and notice how your mood and focus shift.

PMID: 31534436

^{By: Joshua Graham}

^{A supportive prompt to build health, nourishment, and long-term wellness.}

Take 2 minutes to stretch with intention. For example, you could stretch to relieve a spot holding stress (like your traps/shoulders), to balance out a position you spend a lot of the day in (like stretching your glutes if you sit all day), or to help promote a good feeling (like stretching your chest for heart opening or your back to help you stand tall).

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).}