Welcome 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: Redefining Productivity: Without Shame or Pressure
💖Longevity & Wellness: Teaching Your Brain to See Safety Again 🧠🌿
🌱Trauma Healing: Honoring Your Strength and Resilience (Day 2/5)
☀️Journal & Joy Prompts
👇 And more good stuff, like lots of love from Lola & Joshua, the LWD creators xo
Today’s Edition
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Redefining Productivity: Without Shame or Pressure
Many of us were taught to measure our worth by how much we get done, how productive, efficient, helpful, or “on top of things” we are. For some, this pressure shows up at work; for others, in caregiving, household responsibilities, or simply surviving what life requires.
And the truth is: it’s important to recognize that having the option to work less or simplify life is a privilege that’s not on the table for most people right now. So, if we aren’t seeing how we can shift into doing less, how can we make our relationship with productivity less toxic? We can unlearn our attachment to the social norm that “our productivity is our worth.” Your worth is not up for debate, it’s inherent.
Redefining productivity isn’t about doing less. It’s about remembering that you are not your output. The goal here is to release the shame and pressure that comes with productivity. You deserve dignity, care, and compassion: even on the days that feel unfinished, messy, or overwhelming.
🌟 Gentle Ways to Reframe Productivity
🎯 Ask: “What actually matters today, based on my real capacity?”
🫶 Replace self-criticism with self-recognition: “I showed up the best I could.”
🌿 Rest doesn’t need to be long, one intentional breath counts.
🧭 Measure your day not by how much you did, but by how kindly you held yourself through it.
🤝 Notice gently where you can unlearn shame based mindsets and replace with kindness and care instead.
💌If there are areas where you can let go of things that don’t need to be added to your list, or share responsibility with someone else, start making those small shifts.
✅ Action Step: At the end of today, name one thing you did (big, small, visible, or invisible) and acknowledge yourself for it. Follow that up with recognition that you are worthy even in the face of all that didn’t get accomplished too.
Teaching Your Brain to See Safety Again 🧠🌿
Your brain is wired to notice danger more than safety, driven by a survival mechanism known as threat bias. This is helpful in emergencies, but chronic stress, trauma, and/or burnout can cause your brain to over-detect threats, which makes everyday situations feel overwhelming or tense.
This keeps the nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight, which then elevates cortisol levels, increases inflammation, disrupts sleep, and reduces your emotional resilience over time.
But your brain is malleable, and it can learn to see the cues of safety, connection, and support again.
To do this, you want to adopt practices that gently shift attention toward what is stable, supportive, or okay in the moment. This can be small shifts like slower breathing, noticing your feet on the ground, positive self-talk, self-soothing or focusing on supportive people can gradually teach your brain that it doesn’t have to be on alert all the time.
✅ Action step: Several times today, pause and ask: “What in my environment feels safe right now?” Then let yourself consciously and physically register that safety is present. Over time, this will reshape how your brain responds to stress.
Honoring Your Strength and Resilience
Healing isn’t only about reducing pain, it’s also about honoring your survival, your resilience, and the strength it takes to keep going. This week shifts focus from wounds to worthiness, reminding you that you are so much more than what you went through.
Day 2: Recognizing Everyday Resilience
Resilience is often portrayed as grand transformation, but more often, it’s the quiet effort it takes to do the next small thing. Noticing these everyday gestures allows us to see the ways we have cared for ourselves without even realizing it. These small acts are not insignificant, they are evidence of continued choosing, continued trying, continued living.
• 🪞 Notice small strengths: getting up, eating, reaching out. List a few now to acknowledge you.
• 🌱 Tiny acts of care are signs of resilience. What’s one act you did/will do today?
• 🧩 Healing is not about being perfect: it’s about continuing. “I honour my beautiful imperfect self.”
• ✨ Every small step deserves recognition.
Darling, don’t give up on yourself, you’re so worth it. Sending love 💕
📖Journal Prompt:
Building a Caring Relationship with Yourself
What are three things that make you feel like yourself? When was the last time you gave yourself one of them?
🌟Spark of Joy:
Let Little Things Move You
Place your feet firmly on the ground… let the earth hold you, just for a breath.
Thank you for being here!
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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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