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: Escaping the Anxiety Inducing Thought Trap of Mental Filtering
💖Longevity & Wellness: Microadventures to Boost Longevity & Joy
🌱Trauma Healing: Cultivating Safety: Creating Anchors in Your World (Day 4/5)
☀️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
There are billions upon billions of people in this world, and yet we have the pleasure of interacting with you daily. We sure are absurdly lucky!! Thank you for being here, my friend! Sending the best vibes your way ✨
Escaping the Anxiety Inducing Thought Trap of Mental Filtering
Ever notice how one negative comment can drown out ten compliments? That’s mental filtering: a cognitive distortion where we focus only on the negative details and ignore the good. It’s one of the mind’s sneakiest anxiety traps. Learning to spot it and to rebalance your attention, helps reduce stress and rewire your brain toward truth, not fear.
🌟 Ways to break the mental filter
🪞 Catch it: Ask, “Am I filtering out the good right now?”
📖 Keep a balanced record: note three neutral or positive facts to counter one negative thought.
💬 Practice gratitude in the moment: noticing what’s also true.
🧠 When reviewing your day, name one thing that went right.
🌱 Challenge black-and-white thinking: most things are both/and.
😘Criticism gets comfortable so, allow the uncomfortable and start acknowledging the good in you.
✅ Action Step: Today, notice one situation you’re filtering through negativity. Pause and ask: “What am I not seeing that’s also true?”
😁 Microadventures to Boost Longevity & Joy
Microadventures are simple, short bursts of novelty and exploration that reconnect you to the world around you and give your brain and body a reset. The term refers to brief, local escapes, like a new hike, sleeping under the stars in your backyard, a sunset stroll, or exploring a new town in your area, etc.
These small adventures inject novelty and wonder into your life.
Your brains encode times based on novelty and memory formation. When days feel repetitive, the brain compresses those memories, making time feel like it’s speeding by, hence why the pandemic for many of us feels like a time warp. In contrast, new experiences like microadventures help to create more distinct memories, so your brain perceives time as richer and slower.
The novelty of microadventures stimulates dopamine, resilience, and neuroplasticity, and they can also reduce chronic stress and increase positive mood.
Microadventures don’t need to be long excursions; a few hours or even 30-60 minutes can be enough, whatever works for you, your life and schedule.
✅ Action step: In the coming week, schedule a microadventure: maybe walk a new trail, go watch a sunrise or sunset, try a new coffee shop, walk around a new area of town, etc. Let yourself unplug, explore, and experience something new and fun!
Cultivating Safety: Creating Anchors in Your World
This week explores how to intentionally create “anchors” that help you feel grounded, secure, and supported in daily life.
Day 4: Relational Safety Anchors
The right people help regulate your system and remind you you’re not alone.
👯 Identify “safe people” who listen without judgment. Ex. friends, family, specialists like therapists, support groups, etc.
🧡 Share only what feels right: safety might mean pacing your disclosures.
🪢 Practice co-regulation: breathing, walking, or sitting with a trusted person.
🚩 Notice who consistently feels unsafe, and limit exposure if possible.
Darling, don’t give up on yourself, you’re so worth it. Sending love 💕
The world’s expectations aren’t your north star. Choose your own true north.
📖Journal Prompt:
Building a Caring Relationship with Yourself
Write about a time you showed bravery. What can you learn about yourself?
🌟Spark of Joy:
Let Little Things Move You
Notice the way light dances… catch the sun playing on the landscape, notice the ceiling light’s expansive glow, rejoice in this simple overlooked source of pleasure.
Today’s Mental and Emotional Workout:
This interval workout will increase your ability to:
Strengthen neural pathways linked to gratitude to rewire your brain toward optimism
Build and reinforce neural pathways that nurture a positive self-image
Be mindful to anchor yourself in peace and presence
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!
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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).