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Thursday

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

-Theodore Roosevelt

Welcome to Thursday Today, we're chatting about:

• Meditation can do more than you think

• How to unwind after work

• Unwinding naturally

• Little ways to feel better if you are having a bad day

• Everyone is obsessed with this workout

Meditation Can Do More Than You Think

You don’t need incense or an empty beach to meditate—just a few minutes and a willingness to be still. Meditation isn’t just about stress relief (though it helps there, too). It’s a daily practice that’s quietly doing a lot of heavy lifting for your brain and body.

Take your telomeres, for example. These protective caps on your DNA shrink with age and stress, but people who meditate regularly have been shown to have longer ones. That’s a good thing: longer telomeres are linked to better memory, longer life, and even better decision-making.

And if your brain ever feels like 47 tabs are open at once? Meditation helps close a few. Studies show it improves focus, boosts productivity, and even calms that impulsive “I need to fix this right now” feeling when stress hits.

Bonus: Meditation might make you nicer. Seriously. Some studies show it improves empathy and relationship satisfaction. When you're less consumed by your own racing thoughts, it's easier to be present with others.

It doesn’t need to be fancy. Just try two minutes of silence, a breath-focused app, or even a YouTube video before bed. Your future self might thank you with sharper thinking and better sleep.

Don’t Let Work Steal Your Evenings

The workday might end at 5, but for many, the mental grind drags on through dinner. That’s because the brain doesn’t have an off switch, especially if it’s still scanning for Slack pings and flagged emails. Without a buffer between tasks and downtime, it’s no wonder evenings can feel just like… more work.

A short transition ritual helps cue the brain that it’s safe to shift gears. Something as small as turning off notifications or moving the email app off the home screen can help. Even a simple three-minute body scan—scanning attention from forehead to toes—can bring awareness back into the moment and out of deadline mode.

Engaging the senses also helps. A brisk walk, a warm shower, or music playing while dinner’s on the stove can ground attention in the present. It’s less about the specific activity and more about building a consistent, recognizable signal: Work is over now.

The key is consistency. Whether it’s stretching, reading, or lighting a candle, repeating the same end-of-day cue teaches the brain it’s okay to let go. And with a little practice, unwinding can become second nature. here>

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Having a Rough Day? Try One of These

Some days just unravel—your inbox is exploding, your coffee order is wrong, and you're wondering if Mercury is somehow retrograde again. When everything feels off, a few small actions can help realign your mood.

Start by getting outside, even just for ten minutes. Fresh air, natural light, and seeing something as simple as a tree can gently pull your brain out of a loop. Therapist Jeff Yoo recommends a walk where you can see the sky and feel your feet on the ground. It’s not magic, but it helps.

Or try calling someone—your best friend, your grandma, or the cousin who always makes you laugh. A short chat can break the spiral and remind you you’re not alone in it. If that feels like too much, put on your favorite playlist and color something. Yes, like a kid. It’s calming for a reason.

These aren’t deep fixes, but they don’t have to be. On a bad day, sometimes just feeling 10% better is enough to keep going.

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Wellness Round-Up:

Parting Thoughts

• ✅ True or False: False! Therapy can help with a wide range of challenges, from stress to major disorders.

• 🙋🏼‍♀️ Snapshot Of The Day: We'd love to see moments from our readers’ lives that they are proud of! If you recently accomplished an achievement, experienced a joyful moment, or are proud of a picture you have taken, be sure to capture it on camera and send it to us for a chance to be featured next week! 

• 💭 Final Self-Care Thoughts for Today: Rest is productive. You don’t have to earn your downtime.

Enjoying Note to Self?

Know of a great self-care tip or article you'd love to share with the community? Want to send us pictures of you completing one of your self-care rituals? Email us at [email protected]!