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:

You deserve to be appreciated because your kindness and care do make a difference.

Thank you for being you.

When your mind feels busy, restless, or scattered, it can seem difficult to slow down or focus. Thoughts may move quickly, attention may jump from one thing to another, and it can feel challenging to settle into the present moment.

Mindfulness does not require clearing your mind or achieving perfect stillness.

Instead, it offers simple ways to gently anchor your attention by giving your mind something steady to return to when it feels pulled in many directions.

These practices are especially helpful during moments of stress, overthinking, or mental fatigue. Even brief moments of mindful attention can help create a sense of steadiness and clarity.

Three simple mindfulness techniques to try:

📝 Noting practice:
Silently name what’s happening: thinking, worrying, planning, remembering, without judgment. Noting and naming is a great way to acknowledge without having to dive deep into the story behind the worry. It can interrupt “feeding” the unhelpful mental state, returning awareness to your conscious choices.

🔢 Breath counting:
Count each breath, inhale + exhale (1), inhale + exhale (2) up to 6 or a number you like: pause and check in. This gives your mind something steady to hold and interrupts the inner narratives.

👀 5–4–3–2–1 grounding:
Name 5 things you see, 4 feel, 3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste. This helps you get out of living in a mental space and back into the room and the present. 

Mindfulness isn’t about doing it “right.” It’s about gently coming back, again and again. It’s about pattern interruption, so you can get off auto-pilot spirals and back to empowerment.

✅ Action step: Choose one mindfulness tool and try it for one minute today.

^{Love, Lola Graham}

Some people in their 80s and beyond have memories and thinking skills similar to those of people decades younger.

Scientists call them “super agers,” and a large new study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia offers clues about why their brains stay so sharp.

Researchers found that super agers are far less likely to carry APOE-ε4, the strongest known genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s. They’re also more likely to carry APOE-ε2, a gene variant linked to lower Alzheimer’s risk and potential protection. This suggests that long-term cognitive resilience may come from a mix of genetic advantage and lifestyle factors that help the brain resist decline.

The hopeful takeaway? Genes influence risk, but they don’t determine destiny; your daily habits still matter.

✅ Action step: Do one brain-supportive habit today, like a brisk walk, learning something new, getting a good sleep, or connecting with someone. Small actions can compound into long-term brain resilience!

Source: PMID: 41542929

^{By: Joshua Graham}

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

Let your exhale be longer than your inhale for a minute. Signal safety to your body. Let your breath be nourishment to your body.

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).}