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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: 2-Minute Self-Care Ritual: When You’re Shrinking Yourself
💖Longevity & Wellness: A Question That Makes Healthy Choices Easier
✨Daily Affirmation & Daily Prompt

Do 1 thing today that is scary or uncomfortable.
You can absolutely do it; we believe in you!

Shrinking yourself can happen so subtly that you don’t even notice it at first.

Maybe you stay quiet when you want to speak. Minimize your needs. Downplay your accomplishments. Apologize for taking up space. Hide parts of yourself to feel safer, more accepted, or less judged.

Many of us learned that visibility felt risky. But constantly making yourself smaller can slowly disconnect you from who you really are.

🫁 Step 1: Notice the Contraction (30–45 seconds):
Pause and ask yourself:
“Where am I making myself smaller right now?”
Notice without judgment. Awareness is the first step.

🧍 Step 2: Reclaim a Little Space (45 seconds):
Sit or stand a little taller. Uncross your arms. Relax your jaw.
Take one fuller breath.
Your body can help communicate safety and permission to exist more fully.

💬 Step 3: Practice One Small Act of Self-Expression (30–45 seconds):
Maybe it’s:
• Sharing your opinion
• Saying what you need
• Wearing something that feels like you
• Letting yourself be proud of something
• Taking up space without apologizing for it

You do not need permission to be fully human. The goal isn’t to become the loudest person in the room. It’s to stop abandoning yourself in order to feel safe.

✅ Action step: Notice one moment today where you normally shrink yourself and experiment with taking up just a little more space.

^{Love, Lola Graham}

A lot of my people try to force healthy habits through sheer willpower. It can work for a while, but it usually doesn't stick. This is because your habits tend to follow your identity: you do what someone like you does, almost without deciding.

Here's a small question that starts can help shift your identity to support the habits you want to take on: "What would X person do right now?"

So if you want to become healthier, you would ask yourself “What would a healthy person do right now?” Then take that action. The more you take those actions, the more you are aligning your identity with being a “healthy person,” which then makes it easier to keep taking those actions.

One caveat. Base your idea of "healthy" on sensible, well-established basics: moving regularly, eating mostly whole foods, sleeping enough, managing stress, staying connected. Not on the fear-mongering wellness influencers who sell anxiety and supplements alongside it.

A healthy person isn't gripped by fear over every bite or biomarker. They're calm, consistent, and living their life. That's the identity worth growing into.

✅ Action Step: Next time you're on the fence about a choice today, pause and ask, "What would a healthy person do?" Then do that thing.

^{By: Joshua Graham}

^{A mini-care practice for grounding, calming, and nervous system support.}

Let your shoulders drop away from your ears with your next exhale.

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).}