Today host Hoda Kotb started a wellness brand after leaving the morning show. In a moving note, she shared the secret to staying strong during tough times. Life can be difficult, no matter your social status or income level. Keep reading for more details on how to handle stress.
Today Hosts Rally Around Savannah Guthrie
Hoda Kotb returned to the Today Show in February for an unplanned reason. Her co-host, Savannah Guthrie, stepped away to deal with a family crisis. Her elderly mother, 84, went missing from her home on January 31, 2026. Signs pointed to a kidnapping. Nancy Guthrie is still missing, nearly a month after she was last seen. Savannah Guthrie recently offered a $1 million reward for any information on her mother’s disappearance.
Hoda Kotb has been with NBC for decades. During that time, she formed close friendships with her co-hosts, including Savannah Guthrie. So, when her friend needed her, Hoda Kotb stepped up when it mattered. She left the show in January 2025 to spend more time with her two young daughters.
Hoda Kotb Shares Secret To Staying Strong
In addition to more family time, Hoda Kotb launched the Joy 101 wellness brand after leaving the NBC morning show. In a newsletter to fans sent out on February 26, she answered the question “What I Do Right Before a High-Pressure Moment.”
As a talk show host, Hoda Kotb has more experience than most in keeping cool in tense moments. However, she has struggled with keeping her emotions in check on the Today Show over the years.
“There are days when the pressure feels loud. A big speech. A packed schedule. A moment where expectations are high and everyone’s watching. Sometimes it feels like a pot on the stove that’s just about to boil over. In those moments, I’ve learned I can’t power through. I have to power down,” Hoda Kotb wrote to readers about feeling pressure.
She shared her go-to hack. “Before an important speech, I’ll slip into a bathroom or sit in an empty auditorium and meditate for twenty minutes.” The Today Show host wrote that the quiet helps her feel “grounded.”
The mom of two admitted that children’s meltdowns can be “intense.” Her first instinct is to fix it. However, she revealed that sometimes that isn’t what her child wants. “The other day, Haley was worked up about something, so I just sat with her. No fixing or fussing. I just listened and that’s all that was needed,” Hoda Kotb shared about her own experience as a mother.
She shared last words of advice on how to stay strong during difficult moments. “The next time you’re feeling the pressure, try taking a beat. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Even a few quiet minutes might be exactly what your nervous system needs.”
Tell us in the comments what you do to stay strong.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
