New episodes of Hoda’s podcast are available every Wednesday — just search “Making Space” wherever you get your podcasts, or click here.
Waking up at 3 a.m. isn’t for the faint of heart, but Hoda Kotb has a peaceful morning routine that helps start her day off on the right foot.
In the latest episode of her podcast, “Making Space,” Hoda sits down with bestselling author Chip Conley. When the conversation turns to morning routines, Conley reveals that he likes to meditate, go for a walk with his dog and sneak in a workout.
Hoda then shares that she intentionally wakes up an hour earlier than she needs to so she can pack some peace into her hectic day.
“I do 20 minutes of meditation, and I do some writing in my journal. And I do (a spirit) check. Like, ‘What does my spirit need today? What does my body need today?'” she says.
Every day is different, so Hoda says she tries to take the time to understand what will help her feel her best on any given day.
“Sometimes I need a manicure. Sometimes I need to walk in nature. Sometimes I need a break. Sometimes I need a hot bath,” she explains. “I’ll write down whatever (I need) in that moment.”
Coincidentally, Hoda has been reading one of Conley’s books and she tells him that she needed “another chapter” of his book on one recent day.
“It made me feel good so I wrote, ‘That’s what my brain needs,'” she says.
Hoda finds that writing down “specifics” and “very easy things” works best for her while she’s thinking about what she needs.
“It’s not so lofty,” she says.
The TODAY co-anchor also avoids turning to her phone first thing in the morning.
“I don’t check my phone or the news of the day or who won what — even sports — nothing until I’m done. Because I just feel like, you can open a gateway and the world comes rushing. It’s like, ‘I’m not ready yet. I need a minute,'” she says.
Hoda is a proud mom of two daughters — Haley (7) and Hope (5) —and when she writes in her journal in the morning, she often finds herself saying she needs to “cuddle up with my kids when I get home from work.”
In 2022, Hoda revealed that writing love letters for her girls was an important part of her morning routine.
“I write them a special note… and I draw a little picture of the two of them doing something,” she said on an episode of “TODAY with Hoda & Jenna.”
At the time, Hoda said Hope would always get excited when she’d see herself in the drawing.
“Hope always yells, ‘That’s me! That’s me!’ She recognizes herself,” she said.
After Hoda opened up about this sweet ritual, Jenna Bush Hager said she’s “always admired” it.
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