Welcome, sunshine, to Living Well Daily, the newsletter serving up tips to help you live a joyful, healthier life.
In today’s edition:
😊Mental / Emotional Well-Being: Fighting Learned Helplessness with Activism
💖Longevity & Wellness: Fitness Friday: Norwegian 4x4
🌱Trauma Healing: Rebuilding Boundaries: Reclaiming Your Power & Self-Protection (Day 5/5)
☀️Journal & Joy Prompts
🧠 Inner Reps: Mental & Emotional Well-Being Interval Workout
👇 And more good stuff, like lots of love from Lola & Joshua, the LWD creators xo
Today’s Edition
When the voice inside your head tries to bring you down, take a deep breath, let that narrative go and remember this - you are marvellous, we appreciate you, and we are proud of you for showing up each day. Sending you lots of love and a big hug, my friend!
Fighting Learned Helplessness with Activism
When the world feels overwhelming, it’s easy to fall into learned helplessness, the belief that nothing we do will make a difference. But small acts of activism are powerful antidotes. Contributing to positive change gives meaning, builds community, and reminds us of our agency. Every drop of water matters in the bucket towards change. Just as importantly, activism needs to be sustainable, fueled by care, not exhaustion. Here are some ways to get involved while maintaining your energy:
🌟 Ways to engage without burning out
🌍 Focus on one cause that matters most to you; trust others to tend to theirs.
🤝 Explore different contribution types: organizing, volunteering, donating, educating, or simply showing up. You don’t have to carry the movement, small actions that reflect your capacity matter.
🌟Mini acts matter: you can find ways to help that fit into your daily life. For example: share a post to help educate others, sign a petition, pick up a piece of garbage, share change with someone in need, donate a can of food, etc.
🧘 Balance effort with rest; your impact depends on your energy.
📚 Stay informed, but take media breaks when needed.
🌱Look for community that already exists around your cause, it keeps the hope alive.
✅ Action Step: Choose one small action aligned with your values: sign a petition, attend a meeting, or volunteer an hour. Let it remind you: your voice and effort matter, and those efforts can be small and aligned.
💪Fitness Friday: Norwegian 4x4 🫁
The Norwegian 4x4 is a science-backed interval training method designed to maximize cardiovascular fitness and heart health in less time.
It was developed by Norwegian exercise physiologists (hence the name), and it has been shown in clinical studies to improve VO₂ max (your body’s ability to use oxygen), one of the strongest predictors of longevity and cardiovascular health.
🏃♀️ How To Do It:
Warm-up: 10 minutes of easy movement
4 Intervals of:
4 minutes at high intensity (around 85–90% of your max heart rate)
3 minutes of active recovery (easy pace - around 60-70% of your max heart rate)
Cool down for 5 minutes
💡 Benefits:
This method is very effective at strengthening your heart; improving cardiovascular fitness, it also enhances mitochondrial function, boosts overall energy and resilience!
✅ Action step: Try the Norwegian 4x4; you can do it cycling, running, rowing, uphill walking/running, stairmaster, elliptical, etc., to unlock powerful gains in heart health and longevity.
Note: if you have heart issues or health issues, please talk to your doctor before trying this protocol.
Rebuilding Boundaries: Reclaiming Your Power & Self-Protection
Trauma can blur or break boundaries. Rebuilding boundaries is not selfish, it’s self-protection and self-respect. This week is about stepping into your power & reclaiming your right to say “this, not that.”
Day 5: Embodying Boundaries
Boundaries are ways of respecting and restoring yourself. They’re about rediscovering your power to influence your own life and then learning to stand in that power.
🪞 Practice choice with your body: ex. Pause before acting, learn to feel your “yes” or “no” in your body.
🌊Boundaries can change as you change and your energy shifts. This is why learning to FEEL boundaries is a helpful step (vs. having a set of unchangeable rules).
🥹Be gentle with yourself if you don’t follow through with a boundary and learn from what happened: “why did I choose to let my boundary go?” “what was I feeling then and what am I feeling now?” “how can I learn from this experience?”
✍️ Write a boundary statement for yourself: “I deserve to feel safe, and I will protect my energy.”
🛌 Rest is a boundary too, with the world, with overwork, with exhaustion.
🌟 Every boundary you set and hold is a way of saying: “I matter.”
Darling, don’t give up on yourself, you’re so worth it. Sending love 💕
You are not behind; you are on your own path. Trust the pace that feels sustainable.
📖Journal Prompt:
Building a Caring Relationship with Yourself
Imagine your future self five years from now writing you a postcard. What do they thank you for doing today?
🌟Spark of Joy:
Let Little Things Move You
Stand near something fragrant… like when the smell of food makes your mouth water, or the way lavender fills the air and softens your thoughts, let smells move you today.
Today’s Mental and Emotional Workout:
This interval workout will increase your ability to:
Feel proud of yourself to build confidence and strengthen self-trust
Reinforce gratitude circuits in your brain to feel more fulfilled and less stressed
Be mindful to feel calmer and more centered in the moment
In under 8 minutes, you’ll strengthen positive neural pathways for long-term well-being and end the workout feeling better than you started! (Click on the photo below to access the workout)
Thank you for being here!
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!
What did you think of today's edition?
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).