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
It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down because you always get back up. You are resilient, strong, gritty and an absolute badass. Keep getting after it, you got this!
Finding Calm When the Season Feels Too Loud
The holidays can be a beautiful swirl of connection, colour, and celebration, but they can also overwhelm your senses fast. Crowded spaces, loud environments, bright lights, disrupted routines, and emotional intensity can overload the nervous system before you even realize what’s happening. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why do I feel drained even when things are good?”, sensory overload might be the culprit.
If it’s not “feeling drained” for you, it might be “feeling on edge,” “feeling frustrated,” or “feeling like you have a shorter fuse.” Check in with yourself. Is sensory overload a factor for you?
(Ps. If you’re reading this, saying “but, the holidays aren’t good for me”, stay tuned. Tomorrow we talk about navigating loneliness & grief during the holidays, then the next day discuss navigating family dynamics without losing yourself.)
Sensory overload isn’t a personal failure. It’s your body saying, “There’s too much coming in at once.” With a little awareness, you can support yourself through the season with more ease, presence, and groundedness.
How to support your sensory system:
🎧 Reduce input where you can. When you have the ability to shift inputs, lower the volume, step outside, or use noise-cancelling headphones. Try quietly naming “less is okay for me right now.” (No affiliation: the product ‘Loops’ is a great option for reducing sound while at an event and still engaging with others).
🫶 Use grounding objects. A soft scarf, a warm drink, or a familiar texture can cue safety. Try tuning in for 10 seconds to how it feels.
🌬️ Calm through breath. A longer exhale (inhale 4, exhale 6) signals safety to your nervous system. Practice 3 rounds whenever you start to buzz.
🚪 Take micro-exits without apology. Stepping away from a room isn’t rude; it’s regulating. Remind yourself: “I’m allowed to take breaks.” (My go-to is deep breaths in the bathroom!)
✅Action step: Step outside or into a quieter room at least once during your next holiday gathering and take three slow, steady breaths.
Love, Lola Graham
A Powerful Heart Boost 💖
A decade-long study of more than 3,100 adults by King’s College London has found that the regular consumption of polyphenol-rich foods can significantly support long-term heart health.
This study is important because cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk naturally increases with age, and this study found that eating a polyphenol-rich diet helped to contribute to lower CVD risk scores. They also found that participants who ate a polyphenol-rich diet also tended to have higher “good” cholesterol (HDL) levels.
Some foods that are high in polyphenols are apples, cherries, tea, coffee, berries, cocoa, spinach, broccoli, black beans, olive oil, nuts, oats, etc.
Essentially, if you focus on eating a well-rounded, whole food-based diet, you’ll get a good amount of polyphenols in there.
✅ Action Step: Have some polyphenol-rich foods today (yes, a square of dark chocolate and a cup of coffee do count), but try to get some fruits and veggies in there too!
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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