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.
Today’s Edition
As you grow, certain habits or behaviours that align with your goals might feel uncomfortable, but that is ok because you are strong and resilient. You can make it to where you want to go; you are wonderful!
Resetting & Recharging After a Busy December
December is often called “busy season” with packed schedules, emotional load, social obligations, disrupted routines, and the pressure to “show up” everywhere. By the end, many people feel wrung out without even realizing how depleted they are.
Before you move into the new year, it’s important to pause and check in with yourself: How am I actually doing? What do I need to feel restored?
This is a gentle invitation to bring in added care AND to abandon the version of rest others expect from you (or that you default to), in favour of the version that genuinely nourishes you.
Questions & practices for a reset:
🌡️ Check your energy levels. Ask, “Am I tired, wired, or somewhere in between?” Try rating your energy 1–10 to get a clearer picture.
🌿 Identify your real rest need. Do you need solitude, movement, warmth, connection, or stillness? Pick the one that feels replenishing.
🧺 Clear one small thing. If you’re the type of person who regularly says “I can’t rest because there’s too much to do,” make yourself a deal: do one ‘mini’ task, followed by a rest. Tidying a corner, organizing a drawer, or clearing your inbox can give your brain space to breathe.
🕊️ Create a ‘gentle day.’ Choose 1–2 activities that feel soothing and commit to doing them slowly. (Ps. It doesn’t have to be today but mark your calendar to help make it a reality!)
🤝Co-create while giving genuine input: If you’ve got a partner, family, roomies, etc. to consider and don’t feel you can claim your solo time, then make your gentle day collaborative. Give each person a chance to ‘add’ their rest activity.
✅Action step: Choose one tiny restorative practice to do today (stretch, step outside, light a candle, rest your eyes for 2 minutes) and see if you can carve out time for a deeper rest soon.
Love, Lola Graham
Clean Your Brain 🧼🫧🧠
Your brain has its own cleaning crew called the glymphatic system, a fluid network that helps clear metabolic waste like beta amyloid, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s from brain tissue.
This system is most active during deep sleep, when cerebrospinal fluid moves more freely through the brain and waste clearance speeds up. Morning movement doesn’t replace that overnight “wash,” but it can support brain clearance over time. Exercise can help to improve it through increasing blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid flow, both key drivers of glymphatic flow.
In animal studies, regular voluntary running enhances glymphatic transport and waste removal, and emerging human MRI research suggests there might be a similar effect in humans as well.
A single workout isn’t a magic “detox” button for your brain; movement, especially in the morning, like a walk or some mobility work, can increase circulation and, alongside good sleep, support your brain’s natural housekeeping system.
My family has a history of neurodegenerative diseases, so this has become part of my everyday routine. I go for a walk with my dog first thing in the morning, and it helps get the blood flowing and wakes me up, plus the reward of a coffee when I finish doesn’t hurt. 😆
✅ Action Step: Aim to get at least 5 minutes of movement in the first thing in the morning. This might be some light stretching, a walk, a workout, etc.
By: Joshua Graham
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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.
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