You might think that after Hoda Kotb stepped away from her role at the Today show back in January, after over a decade of waking up at 3:30 a.m. and a nearly nonstop schedule that barely left her time for pit stops at home, she’d finally take a beat, slow down, get some rest. And she has, in her own way.
Now, instead of rushing around 30 Rockefeller Plaza, she’s scurrying after her daughters, Haley, 8, and Hope, 6, and their new puppy, Waffles. Instead of reporting breaking news and writing scripts for Today, she put pen to paper for her ninth book. Instead of gabbing with cohosts on live television, she’s taking solo walks around her new neighborhood.
And about that alarm clock. “Now I sleep in until about 4:30 a.m., sometimes until 5 a.m. if I go a little crazy,” she tells me from the Good Housekeeping offices. “I used to underestimate rest. I didn’t think about it; I just kept going. But now I realize that after that extra hour or hour and a half of sleep, I wake up feeling like a different person.”
In August, Kotb, 61, stopped by the GH office for a photo shoot and to dish on her latest endeavors since bidding farewell to her beloved hosting gig.
Out today, Hoda’s new book, Jump and Find Joy, offers an intimate look at how the journalist found the courage to embrace change and take bold risks throughout her life. From facing nearly two dozen job rejections early in her career to navigating a cancer diagnosis to leaving a job she loved after 27 years, Kotb shares the pivotal moments that taught her to find joy and peace even in life’s darkest tunnels. The book also features inspiring stories and reflections from stars like Bette Midler, Simone Biles, and Viola Davis, highlighting when they’ve embraced change in their own journeys. “I’ve always admired those who make big and even small changes in their lives, and weren’t scared to jump,” says Kotb.
After catching the wellness bug, earlier this summer Kotb launched Joy 101, a wellness platform including an all-in-one app for nurturing mind, body, and spirit. Users can explore meditation, breathwork, affirmations, sleep support, daily prayers, and more—led by doctors and experts in the wellness space. Subscribers also gain access to live events with Hoda, featuring exclusive conversations with holistic practitioners like Christine Goulding, the healer who first introduced Kotb to breathwork.
“What sold me after I did it was learning that there’s research that shows breathwork can help regulate your heart rate and blood pressure,” says Kotb. “The feeling meditation gives to you was described to me as the top of the ocean is very tumultuous and crazy, it’s like when change or chaos is happening in our lives. But if you drop down far enough, no matter if there's a hurricane or not, it's calm down there. That’s the feeling we’re seeking.”
Kotb acknowledges the instability of change but believes that on the other side of that frightening feeling is something rewarding. “Making a jump is a scary thing. I learned that after leaving the Today show,” she says. “This book was made to inspire people to make big and small jumps.”
Here's more of our conversation:
What inspired you to write Jump and Find Joy?
It's based on my life because I've done a lot of jumping, but it’s also based on the lives of people whom I admire. I remember talking to Sarah Jakes Roberts, the daughter of pastor T.D. Jakes and she said to me, “Change is scary, so you don't want to just fling yourself off into the abyss.” She said, “But what's important is to imagine yourself on the other side and what it feels like to be there.” Like for me at the Today show, what would it feel like to call my own shots, to have my own schedule, to have something that's mine? You feel the feelings and then the change isn’t so terrifying.
Who should read it?
I think that if you’re considering a change, this is a good book for you. And if you feel locked into your life as it is, it’s also a book for you—because there are always possibilities for small changes. You don’t have to make a big, scary leap; even a small step can lead you onto a brand-new path. I also think of life as being full of chapters. If you only have one chapter, it may be beautiful and fulfilling. But there may be more chapters waiting for you—ones you haven’t read yet, but might want to explore. Life allows for that. You can pivot, you can change direction, and if something doesn’t feel right, you can say, wait, that wasn’t it. That’s just life.
In the book, you talk about how your former cohost Jenna Bush Hager recommended that you start having more fun. Why was that an important moment for you?
Jump and Find Joy: Embracing Change in Every Season of Life
She did. She used to tell me, “You’re exhausted. All you do is sprint from one place to the next.” She suggested we create Thankful Thursdays. Every Thursday after work, I had to do something just for myself. It didn’t matter what—get a massage or something else. The point was simply: Do something for you. That’s when I realized you can practice self-care and still take care of others—it doesn’t have to take a lot of time.
For me, it starts in the mornings. I sit down and write out what I need: body, mind, spirit, emotions. It’s like a little check-in. Sometimes my body will need a bath, a manicure, more rest, or just a walk. My mind might need something different—if I spent too much time scrolling the night before, maybe today it needs a chapter of a good book. My spirit and emotions might ask for something else entirely. I treat it like a mini roadmap, and as the day goes on, I find myself actually doing the things I wrote down. If I see “take a walk” on my list, I’ll go outside instead of mindlessly scrolling or rushing through lunch. I’ll walk with nothing, no podcast, no phone call—just walk. And that simple shift changes how I feel completely.
Your new wellness platform and app, Joy 101, launched earlier this year. Who is the app for?
Our app is for anybody who’s stuck. Anybody who’s feeling tired, who wants clarity, who wants energy, who wants focus, who wants better rest. That’s all of us. Wherever I go to speak, people connect with this app. And the advice isn’t from a pharmacy. All you’re doing is breathing. As the habit forms, you’ll find yourself walking on the sunny side, even trying things you’ve never tried before. That’s where the magic is—in that space where you step into something new.
Special GH reader Discount: Until December 31, use code GHxJOY at checkout to get a 20% discount on a yearly membership ($99.99) for the Joy 101 app.
What wellness techniques are your go-to?
Sleeping is really tough for me. But I started doing something that works like a charm for me and my kids. Before bed, I repeat the words, “I am safe” out loud, over and over. Not just until your brain hears it, but until your body feels it: “I am safe. I am safe. I am safe.” Once you get that exhale, your body settles. The next phrase is: “There is no urgency.” Whatever’s spinning in your head at night, there is no urgency. I repeat that one a lot because it’s the hardest for me, but you keep saying it until your body believes it. And the last one is: “I am still and calm.” When I repeat that, my girls fall asleep in my arms. One of them is always thinking about tomorrow—“What am I going to do?”—and this helps her drift off. It helps me too. The Joy 101 app has shortcuts and little hacks like this—things we need in everyday life.
How are your daughters adjusting to you being home more and moving out of NYC to the suburbs?
They're so great. So they're 6 and 8. There's something about my kids walking to school every day; I mean, they take their umbrellas or their boots if needed and we walk. We walk in a train, which I love, then we pick up kids from this house, then kids from this house and we are all walking together to school. And I like the feeling of someone ringing the doorbell and it might not be a delivery, it might be a kid coming to play.
What advice do you give to your daughters that you also live by?
Our latest one is thoughts become things. Think about it: If you repeat something often enough, it shapes you. I tell them, when you're riding your bike, don’t say, I’m going to fall. Say, I’m going to glide. I’m going to glide. Then I’ll say, we’re unstoppable, then the energy shifts completely. I watch it happen. So I remind them that what they repeat becomes who they are. It’s really powerful, even for little kids.
What's something that motherhood taught you that your career never could?
Patience. The news business is not wired for patience. In parenthood, especially motherhood, I’ve realized how much I need to work on it. For me, patience is hard.
I'll see Haley's shoes sitting right there and think, just put your foot in—it’s time to go. But she wants to show me the bubbles first. And I've realized these little things mean so much to kids. That’s when I’ve learned to make a mini plan. I'll say, "Here’s what we’re going to do. Those bubbles—we’re going to dream about them at the doctor’s office. I can’t stop thinking about them." And then we can finally move. So patience, patience, patience.
How is co-parenting with your former fiancé?
It’s good. Joel is great. He works part-time in New York and part-time in Colorado. So he's back and forth. But when he is here, he walks the girls to school and he comes over for dinner. So we have a great situation.
CREDITS
Editor in Chief: Elspeth Velten
Executive Creative Director + Director of Video: Melissa Geurts
Executive Editor: Beth Dreher
Writer & Interviewer: Keydra Manns
Photographer & Video Editor: Jillian Sollazzo
Photo Director: Roni-Martin Chance
Makeup: Mary Kahler
Hair: Laura Castorino
Set Design & Sculpture: Melissa Geurts
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