Want a more positive, encouraging Instagram feed? Then follow us!
@Living_Well_Community
@LoveLolaGraham
@RetireHealthier

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: The Arrival Fallacy: Why “I’ll Be Happy When…” Keeps Moving
💖Longevity & Wellness: UPFs & Muscle Quality
✨Daily Affirmation & Daily Prompt

What are 3 things you’re grateful for today?
Take a moment to notice them, and try to feel gratitude for them rather than just checking a box.

I'll feel better when I get the promotion.

I'll relax once this busy season is over.

I'll be happier when I lose the weight, find the relationship, make more money, finish the project, reach the goal…

Having things to work toward can bring meaning, excitement, and direction to our lives. But there's a trap in believing that once we finally arrive, we'll unlock a lasting state of happiness.

Psychologists sometimes call this the arrival fallacy. We can overestimate how dramatically reaching a future goal will change our long-term happiness. We arrive, enjoy the boost…and eventually, ordinary life becomes ordinary again. A new goal appears on the horizon.

The answer isn't to stop striving. It's to make sure we don't postpone our entire experience of being alive while we do it.

Ways to enjoy the journey AND the destination:

•🌱 Let goals add to your life rather than put it on hold
•🎉 Celebrate progress: Don't reserve acknowledgment only for the finish line
•💛 Notice what is already good: Today's life deserves your attention too
•🧭 Choose goals you value pursuing: The process is a huge portion of the experience
•⏳ Catch “I'll be happy when…” thinking: Ask what piece of that desired feeling you could cultivate now

There will always be another destination. Build toward beautiful things. Dream wildly. Change what you want to change. Just don't accidentally make happiness something you're forever scheduled to experience later.

✅ Action step: Finish this sentence: “I'll be happier when ______.” Then ask: “What am I hoping that gives me, and is there a small way I can experience some of that now?”

^{Love, Lola Graham}

New research found that people who consumed more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) tended to store more fat in their thigh muscles.

The study included 615 adults at risk for knee osteoarthritis. Researchers found the association remained even after accounting for total calorie intake, fat intake, physical activity, and other factors.

This matters because higher levels of fat within muscle can reduce muscle quality and may contribute to poorer joint function over time.

This study does not prove ultra-processed foods directly cause these changes, but it adds to evidence that food quality may influence health in ways calories alone do not capture.

✅ Action Step: Replace one ultra-processed food you eat regularly with a minimally processed alternative this week.

^{By: Joshua Graham | Source: PMID: 41979462}

^{A reflective journaling prompt to explore learning, self-awareness, and becoming.}

What would it feel like to stop treating rest like something you need to earn?

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!

If you find our newsletter helpful, we’d love for you to share it with a friend! If you’re that friend, you can subscribe here. Thanks for spreading the word! xo

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).}