Five Morning Habits That Change Everything

• Ever feel like your morning runs you instead of the other way around? After rehabbing a knee and hip injury pushed me into the gym, I rebuilt my first hour from the ground up—and the rest of my day got easier. I’m sharing the five simple habits that turned frantic mornings into focused momentum, plus why the timing of your coffee might be the quiet culprit behind your afternoon crash.

• We start with the moment your alarm goes off and the “spring theory” that explains why snoozing backfires. Then we move into ten minutes of gentle stretching that wakes muscles, lubricates joints, and even helps digestion. I break down a no-drama breakfast approach—protein, fiber, and healthy fats—before coffee to steady cortisol and blood sugar, so you feel calm, alert, and crash-resistant. You’ll also learn a quick meditation or breath routine that puts you in charge of your emotions instead of the other way around, and a phone-free first hour that protects focus and optimism before the world floods your notifications.

• Along the way, I talk candidly about going from outdoor workouts to indoor rehab, finding consistency when motivation dips, and the small mindset shifts that make healthy choices stick. You’ll hear community shoutouts, practical swaps you can try tomorrow morning, and encouragement to test the routine for just a week and see what changes first—your mood, your energy, or your clarity.

If you’re ready to trade the rush for a steadier rhythm, press play and build a morning you can trust. If this helps, share it with a friend, leave a quick review, and subscribe for more Mindful Mondays and Wisdom Wellness Wednesdays. Your support keeps the show growing and the tips coming.

Transcript

Welcome And Wellness Frame

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Ow. What's up, party people? Welcome to another episode of L Kivate Your Life. I am your hostess with the most S. L as in the letter L and key as in the key to your heart. So let's get into it on this Wisdom Wellness Wednesday. What are we on? February, oh my gosh, February 18th. So I've been thinking a lot about this about Wisdom Wellness Wednesday. And especially because I just came from the gym. And as most of you know, throughout my podcast, you've heard of my health journal, my fitness, my fitness path, my wellness path, whatever you want to call it. Anyway, I'm not a gym person. I'm not a gym rat. I am becoming one by default because um I started with injuries in my knee that then went to my hip and I couldn't hike, and then it's you know, blustery cold weather, and there's all these things I had to do to rehabilitate my knee and my hip.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

And so, pa-po, I am now a gym person.

Why Morning Habits Matter

SPEAKER_01 1:25

So I was thinking of wisdom wellness Wednesday, and I was thinking, what are the wisdom wellness Wednesday habits that you have in play for yourself? Uh, especially to my friends out there who don't work out, can't work out. Maybe they have a physical setback right now where you know they have an injury or they don't have time or they don't have the energy, or like my husband, he just chooses not to work out anymore. He's like, you know what? I work basketball, refereeing basketball, volleyball, football. I don't need to work out. That's a whole nother podcast, everyone. So one of the things I started thinking about that I have been doing since my journey are I just broke it down into basically the five healthy habits to start my day.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

And I wanted to share them with you.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Number one, one of the things I do is the second that you wake up, the second your alarm goes off, did you know that you should wake up in that moment and time? It's known as the spring theory. So, in other words, as soon as you wake up, your brain wakes up, you should immediately get up because when you hit the snooze button, you just feel more tired later. It actually puts your brain into what's known as action mode, and you will feel more awake instantly if you get in the habit of doing that.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

So my second one is morning movement.

Habit Three: Breakfast Before Coffee

Habit Four: Meditate Or Breathe

Habit Five: No Phone First Hour

SPEAKER_01 3:34

There should be some sort of morning movement, and interestingly enough, shout out to my girl Michelle Gonzalez, who does massage and sings in the band rewind and all of that. She said you should stretch every single morning, at least for 10 minutes. Your body doesn't stretch automatically, and people don't realize that you should stretch because it gets oxygen into your body, into your muscles, and it helps better prepare you for the day. It also helps with your digestion. So it is a win-win. The other thing is that you should not have coffee. I know all of you guys are gonna be like, what? You shouldn't have coffee before breakfast because coffee it disrupts your cortisol and your blood sugar, and most people end up crashing later if you start off with coffee before breakfast. The other one I like to implement is meditation, and it sounds kind of crazy because you're just waking up, right? So you're like, why would I meditate when you're just waking up? But whether you do meditation or you sit still and do breath work, even if you just do it for 10 minutes, it's a basic, simple way to turn, tune into your body and mind and start the day on a more positive note. And what I mean by that is it helps you to be in control of your emotions instead of your emotions being in control of you. I mean, think about it. If you're one of those people that waits till the last minute or second to wick wake up, get out of bed, get ready, and you're rushing, then that is the mode that you are in. You're not in a peaceful, mindful, productive state.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Last but not least, and for those of you that know, you know, you shouldn't be on your phone the first hour of your day.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

This is not healthy for you because your brain wakes up like a sponge.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

And so whatever you feed it, that first amount of wake up, even you know, the first hour of the day, it literally sets the tone for your entire day.

Try It And Notice The Shift

Subscriber Perks And Shoutouts

SPEAKER_01 7:02

So if you're looking for some sort of stimulation, it's great if you do some reading or journaling. So those are the five things that I do every morning. I have to say it has made a world of difference to me. And I mean, for those of you that love coffee and are like, oh my God, I have to have my coffee before my breakfast or whatever, I just want you to be aware you should have your breakfast before your coffee. So if you want to wake up, start out with some water, maybe have a banana or a piece of fruit, and then go to the coffee. That's all I'm saying. I'm not saying we don't need that to boost us and wake us up. I'm saying these things will help you even more. And after all, it is Wisdom Wellness Wednesday. So that is why I'm sharing these tips with you. Doesn't mean you have to agree with me, doesn't mean you have to do them. It just means these are all things that can set the tone for your day. I would encourage you to try it just to see if it makes a difference in your world. I'm sure all of you that are out there in your 40s, 50s, 60s and go, nope, this is the way I've been doing it for this long, I can hear my husband saying it now. I mean, as soon as he wakes up, looks at his phone, drinks water, goes straight to the coffee pot, all the things. But what I'm suggesting is don't be afraid to try something new. You might see a difference in how you approach your day and what your day looks like. And you might not have that mid-afternoon crash. Or you might notice that you're in a great mood the entire day and you're more balanced, not stressed, your cortisol levels are not elevated. So those are my tips and tricks for our Wisdom Wellness Wednesday. Thank you all so much for tuning in, for listening, for being a consistent listener, a loyal listener. By the way, remember it only costs you as little as a cup of coffee or as much as a happy meal to subscribe to my channel. And if you find the information valuable and you appreciate my consistency, I would so appreciate you subscribing to my channel. It's very easy. The link is always in the podcast content. And what do I offer my loyal listeners? Well, I shout out about their business, they have some insight as to what I'm going to talk about in my podcast. Maybe you want me to advertise you, your business, your situation, your company, your passion project.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

I don't know. But who knows?

Where To Listen And Connect

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Maybe it helps you to boost your business or advertise your company or, you know, get the word out about what it is you do, what your passion project is. Just saying, I do have a lot of loyal listeners that tune in every Monday and Wednesday for Mindful Mondays and Wisdom Wellness Wednesdays. And while I'm on all the platforms, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Buzz Sprout, Podcaster, Deezer, Pod Chaser, you name it, uh, YouTube, while I'm on all the platforms, I'm also on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Nextdoor, uh, LinkedIn, you name it. You can find me there. So to my loyal subscribers, thank you to Creative Cara who always shows up for me and gives me great feedback and commentary, and is so insightful about her thoughts and opinions. And if you haven't checked out her her uh linked tree page, love my artist page, or lovemyartist.etsi.com, you can find her links in my podcast content. Uh, she does everything from video montages, birthday, anniversary, proposal. Um, oh my gosh, so many things, so many things that I can't even begin to name all of them. She also paints and draws and has a fun clothing line with genuine leather straight from Italy products, laptop bags, boots. Um, her paintings and drawings are amazing. She does tutorials, she also cooks, bakes, grooms, dogs. I mean, Kara, what don't you do? That's what I want to know. Moving right along, Jeff Para, Namaste. I hope Sprinter Life continues to treat you well and you are in a better place emotionally since the loss of your friend and loved one, sending you good vibes and positivity and good energy, friend. Up next, we have Kyle Few, Commitment to Love, Love is a Verb. Thank you for always listening, supporting, following, sharing ideas, and thank you for your commitment to love. Love is a verb Audible. If you haven't checked it out yet, check it out. It can be found on Amazon. Next up, we have Roger Havens. Roger, glad to see that you are getting back to your fit self. I see you in the gym. I see you getting stronger and more consistent. Roger suffered an injury uh a while back and he appears to be showing up for himself regularly. Good on you, Roger. Consistency is key, right? Okay, who am I forgetting? Angie, Angie Germer of Thrive Lavelle. If you are looking for supplements to fill the nutritional gaps, you need to gain weight, you want to lose weight, you need more energy, you want to build muscle. Whatever the case, Angie Germer of Thrive Lavelle can help you again. You can find her link in my podcast content. Shout out to my loyal listeners, Rhonda, Dory, Travis, Andrew. It's not too late for you guys to subscribe for as little as a cup of coffee.$3,$5,$8,$10. And in return, what do I do? I will give you a sneak peek into the upcoming podcast. Maybe I talk about you and your company, your hobbies, your interests. Maybe I do a shout-out for you and help you find your other half, boyfriend, girlfriend. Maybe it's dating advice. I don't know. Just saying. Let me make sure I covered everyone. Kara, Angie, Jeff, Mike Kaufman. Thank you, Mike Kaufman, for being a loyal listener. Appreciate you. I think I got everybody. Oh, Lisa Roberts Corbello. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber. I do hope that you are able to find the time to listen to the pod. Okay, that's it for this Wisdom Wellness Wednesday. Thank you all for tuning in. Thank you for listening. If you liked this episode, if you appreciated the information, please like, share, comment, and by all means feel free to subscribe for as little as three, five, eight, ten dollars. But remember, if nothing else, to like and to comment. It helps the algorithm. Thanks for tuning in. Ciao for now.