If your mornings feel more chaotic than calming, this one’s for you. In this episode, I break down why so many popular morning routines backfire, not because we’re lazy or disorganised, but because they often start with stimulation, not regulation.

I walk you through a five-minute sequence I call “Nervous System First,” which is built for real life (yes, even with screaming kids or howling dogs). We cover light and length, orienting your attention, adding salt or lemon to warm water, a one-line intention, and some beautifully simple breathwork. The goal? To tell your body it’s safe before asking it to perform.

I also offer micro-versions of this for the days that go off the rails and explain why consistency beats intensity every time. This isn’t about moralising your morning or building another routine to feel bad about skipping. It’s about giving your biology what it needs so your brain can actually focus.

You can grab your copy of The Calm Planner here

In this episode, I unpack something most of us don’t even realise we’re doing, linking our self-worth to stress. I share a personal story of powering through a Tuesday that should have felt like a win, but left my body trembling and my mind strangely proud. It hit me: I’d become addicted to stress because my brain had wired it to mean “achievement.”

We explore how our nervous systems get stuck in fight-or-flight mode and how that keeps us chasing the next “hit” of productivity. I talk about how we can gently separate adrenaline from ambition, and introduce some simple experiments to start breaking the cycle, from “pre-celebrating” wins to a Two-Tab Rule that helps protect your focus.

You’ll also hear about daily body check-ins and how to spot when you’re operating from pressure instead of precision. Calm doesn’t mean you’re doing less, it means you’re doing it from a place of grounded confidence.

You can grab your copy of The Calm Planner here

Welcome to The Calm Code — the podcast for ambitious women who want more energy, more balance, and a lot more peace… without giving up their drive.

Hosted by wellness coach and creator of The Calm Planner, Lucy brings you warm, honest, science-backed conversations about stress, burnout and nervous system regulation — all delivered with the humour, heart, and grounded wisdom of the friend who actually gets it.

Each episode gives you simple, practical ways to reset your energy, calm your body, and feel like yourself again. No fluff. No guilt. No “just meditate more” advice. Just real-world tools you can use between meetings, school runs, and slightly dramatic late-night overthinking.

If you’re tired of running on empty, craving a calmer way of living, or simply want to understand your own mind and body better — this is your space to breathe again.

Take a deep breath.

You’ve just found The Calm Code.

You can grab your copy of The Calm Planner here