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:

Spot the lie 👇

The world can be harsh, overwhelming, or unjust, and it can feel safer to harden, to numb out, shut down, or brace yourself emotionally. Hardening can seem protective, like a way to avoid feeling too much or being hurt by what you cannot control.

But staying soft doesn’t mean ignoring reality or pretending things are okay. Instead, you’re protecting your tenderness without losing your humanity, allowing yourself to feel, care, and remain open while still honouring your limits.

Softness is not weakness. It is emotional flexibility, compassion, and the ability to stay connected to what matters. In difficult times, remaining soft can be one of the most courageous and stabilizing choices you can make.

It’s a way of staying human. It’s a way of living by your values and refusing to let go of passion, beauty, and care.

Ways to protect softness without burning out:

•🫶 Allow yourself to feel without drowning: Compassion doesn’t require constant emotional immersion.

•🌱 Make room for beauty alongside pain: Both can exist at the same time.

•🛑 Set boundaries with what you consume: You can stay informed without being flooded 24/7.

•💛 Let joy, laughter, and play matter: These aren’t distractions, they’re nourishment.

•🕯️ Choose gentleness as a form of resistance: Softness can be a refusal to become hardened by harm and by continuing to cultivate the world you want to live in.

• 🛝Imagine letting out your inner child: Balance the seriousness of life by allowing for moments of silliness and lightness. Imagining a younger you can help with inspiration. 

Staying soft is a powerful act, especially in hard times.

✅ Action step: Today, protect one small piece of softness: a feeling, a ritual, or a moment that helps you stay open.text here

^{Love, Lola Graham}

Protecting your sleep helps support your memory, mood, immune health, metabolism, and long-term brain health, making it one of the highest-impact health habits you can build. If you care about your well-being, then sleep must be a priority.

If you struggle to fall or stay asleep, make sure you aren’t making these 3 mistakes that can be sabotaging your sleep:

1. Caffeine too late in the day:

How long caffeine stays active in your system is individualistic. The average half-life of caffeine is 5 hours, but it can range between 1.5 and 9 hours. Which means if someone had an average half-life (5 hours) and had their last cup of coffee at 4 pm, half of that caffeine is in their system at 9 pm and ¼ at 1 am.

Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors and prevents the signalling that causes drowsiness and sedation, which is why caffeine, too late in the day, can make sleep more difficult. 

2. Overstimulation before bed:

Bright screens, intense shows, scrolling, or stressful conversations keep your brain in high-alert mode, making it harder to wind down.

Instead, do an activity you find relaxing, like reading a book, listening to gentle music, stretching, cuddling a loved one or pet, meditating, journaling, etc. 

3. No nighttime routine:

A nighttime routine cues your nervous system that it is time to wind down. This gives a clear signal that it’s time to rest, making it easier to fall asleep and leading to a deeper sleep.

Try to set up a nighttime routine, dim the lights, brush your teeth, etc. 

✅ Action step: Tonight, set a 30-minute wind-down routine, dim lights, avoid screens, and skip caffeine after mid-afternoon.

Sources: PMID: 38466174

^{By: Joshua Graham}

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

If your past self could see you now, what would they admire about your growth?

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!

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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.}

^{Remember: It’s okay to ask for help. Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 (Canada & US).}