Welcome to Living Well Daily, the newsletter serving up tips to help you live a healthier, happier life.
In today’s edition:
😊Mental / Emotional Well-Being: Your Body’s Holding On: Tension Release for Anxiety Relief
💖Longevity & Wellness: the Power of Touch
🧠 Inner Reps: Deepen your relationship with yourself
☀️Self-Care & Connection
🌱Trauma Healing: Self-Soothing (Day 4/5)
👇 And more good stuff!
Today’s Edition
Did you know that an ant can carry up to 10 times its bodyweight? Pretty neat, but… not as impressive as you being able to carry around all that spectacularness you are constantly moving around! Shine on, gorgeous!
Your Body’s Holding On: Tension Release for Anxiety Relief
Stress, anxiety, and even low mood often live in the body as muscle tension. If we’re only ever taking mental approaches to anxiety and stress reduction, we’re missing a big piece of the puzzle because the mind can often reflect how the body feels and the body gets tense as heck when we’re overwhelmed. So, let’s relax the body to relax the mind. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a science-backed technique that eases that tension by systematically tensing and relaxing muscle groups. It helps calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and boost emotional balance.
Why PMR helps:
💆 Releases stored tension that builds up without us noticing
🧠 Signals safety to the nervous system, activating “rest and restore” mode
😌 Improves body awareness so you can catch stress earlier
🌙 Supports better sleep by helping your body fully relax before bed
How to practice:
1️⃣ Start with your feet—tense the muscles for 5 seconds, then release.
2️⃣ Move up to your calves, thighs, and so on—working through your whole body.
3️⃣ Focus on the contrast between tension and release.
4️⃣ Breathe slowly as you go, letting each release deepen your calm.
When to use it:
😰 During moments of high anxiety or panic
🌙 As part of a bedtime routine to improve sleep
💼 During workday breaks to reset focus
💔 After emotionally challenging conversations or events
✅ Action Step: Try a 5-minute PMR session today to see how much calmer and lighter you feel afterward.
The Power of Touch
Physical touch is a powerful tool for health and longevity. Research shows that hugs, handshakes, or even a gentle pat on the back can lower stress hormones, reduce blood pressure, and boost “feel-good” chemicals like oxytocin. Regular, positive touch is linked to stronger immune function, reduced risk of depression, and even longer lifespan. It helps our nervous system shift into a calmer state, giving the body more energy to repair and thrive.
The best part? Touch is simple and free.
Even small moments of connection make a difference. Hug a family member or friend, hold your child’s hand, cuddle with your pet, slow dance with your partner or greet a friend with a warm touch.
✅ Action Step: Aim for at least one meaningful, positive touch each day like a hug that lasts a few seconds longer, or a gentle hand squeeze. Your heart and health will thank you.
Today’s Mental and Emotional Workout:
Today we engage in mentally and emotionally supportive exercises to deepen a healthy loving relationship with ourselves.
Listen to what your body needs today. It speaks in sensations, and the more you lean into its language, the easier it will get to understand, the deeper your relationship with your body will grow.
📖Journal Prompt:
How can I share more of my authentic self with others?
🌟Spark of Joy:
Pet an animal — like when they melt into you, completely trusting and content. (Don’t have an animal nearby? Notice cute doggos on a walk or watch a cute animal video.)
🦋Weekly Connection & Kindness Challenge:
💬Ask a Thoughtful Question
Go beyond “How are you?” and really listen.
Self-Soothing Strategies: Calming Tools for Different Environments
Self-soothing is the act of calming your emotional distress, helping regulate your nervous system, especially when trauma responses are on overdrive.
Day 4: In Relationships
When emotions rise in conversations or interactions, self-soothing can be used to create a pause that allows for intentional action versus an automatic reaction. In this case, self-soothing can be a momentary interruption that gives you a second to address how you feel.
🛑Take a pause: “I need a moment to gather my thoughts.”
👏Use a physical cue like touching your fingertips together.
😚Focus on the sound of your own breath.
👣Create physical space/distance by taking a step, changing your posture, or even placing an object (like a phone or waterbottle) in between you and the person.
Important Reminder: If the relationship is dangerous, unhealthy, or toxic, think of self-soothing as a way to help you gather yourself to clearly decide how to safely exit or make a change, NOT as a way to stay. You are deserving of care.
Darling, don’t give up on yourself, you’re so worth it. Sending love 💕
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!
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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).