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.
Today’s Edition
Time will pass regardless of how it is spent, so… Spend your time intentionally; we all only get so much.
PS. Hope your week has been as amazing as you!
Shifting Stuck Thoughts: CBT’s Three C’s
When stress, anxiety, or emotional overload kicks in, thoughts can start to feel fast, loud, and absolute: I’m failing. This will never change. Something is wrong with me.
Thoughts influence how we feel and what we do next, but they aren’t always accurate or kind. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) offers a simple framework, the Three C’s, to help you step out of mental loops when you feel stuck. While it’s not a cure-all (sometimes your body, environment, or support system needs attention too), it can be a powerful tool for creating space and responding with more clarity and compassion.
The Three C’s:
🧠 Catch the thought: Notice what’s running through your mind. Awareness is the first interruption. Try to name it clearly and specifically: Ex. “I always mess things up.” “They’re definitely upset with me.” “This is never going to get better.”
🔍 Check the thought. Gently ask: Is this 100% true? What evidence supports it? What evidence doesn’t? Am I mind-reading, catastrophizing, or treating feelings as facts? You’re not judging yourself, just examining the story your brain is telling.
🔁 Change (or soften) the thought. Replace it with something more balanced and realistic, not forced positivity, but compassionate truth. For example: “I made a mistake, but that doesn’t mean I always fail.” “I don’t actually know what they’re thinking.” “This is hard right now, and I can take it one step at a time.”
✅ Action step: When a thought spikes your stress, pause and walk it through: Catch it. Check it. Change it. Even a small mental shift can soften emotional intensity and help you respond instead of react.
Love, Lola Graham
Fitness Friday: How Your Muscles Work (and Why That Matters) 💪🦴
In the new year, many people start with fitness and movement goals to improve their overall health. What makes this possible are your muscles. They are what move you, so it can be useful to understand how your muscles work.
Muscles don’t push; they pull on your bones to create movement by contracting (getting shorter). When one muscle contracts (gets shorter), the opposing muscle will relax (lengthen). This is called reciprocal inhibition: your brain automatically tells the opposing muscle to “let go” so movement can happen smoothly and safely.
For example, when you bend your elbow (bringing your hand closer to your shoulder), your biceps contract while your triceps (on the back of your arm) relax.
Knowing how your muscles work can make it easier to consciously tune into the muscles you are trying to work. This can build your mind-muscle connection, and research has shown that it can help increase muscle activation at submaximal loads.
✅ Action step: In your next workout, tune into the muscles you are intending to challenge and see if you can feel them activating.
PMID: 26700744
By: Joshua Graham
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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.
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