For the past few years, Naomi Watts has been doing what she can to bring attention to menopause. Naomi, who is now 56, started perimenopause at 36. Since that is still fairly young, Naomi struggled through it alone. At the time, she was trying to have children and was not a candidate for IVF, which added a whole other level of stress. But, she got through it and has been doing her best to raise as much awareness as she can. She even started Stripes, a line of supplemental products for menopausal people.
Naomi’s latest push to normalize conversations about menopause is a book called Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause, which came out last week. In the book, she talks about her experience with early menopause. She also shares other personal stories, like this one about how her husband Billy Crudup made her feel less self-conscious about wearing a hormone patch by telling her that he has gray hair where the sun don’t shine. To promote the book, Naomi shared her daily routine with People for their latest wellness series. Turns out, she’s a morning person and a competitive Wordle player who drinks her coffee black and keeps a dream journal. From Naomi:
I usually wake up five minutes before my alarm. On a regular day to get the kids out and on their way, my alarm is set to 6:55. I take a lot of time winding down at night but I go straight into my day. I get up on my feet very quickly and start the day with energy.
I’m a natural early bird. My husband Billy [Crudup] is a night person. Usually, I’m up before him and let him sleep.
When I first open my eyes, I might think about a dream I’ve had and write it down. I think what goes on in the night in the unconscious can give you clues, messages that might be helpful for my day’s work. That sounds a bit woo-woo, but I often analyze dreams.
The first thing I attend to is getting my dog Izzy out which often happens earlier than I would like. We’re in New York, in an apartment, and sometimes I’ve been grateful there’s not a paparazzi out there because I am still in my pajamas under a coat and my hair’s everywhere.
Next I try to wake up the kids [Sasha, 17, and Kai, 16]. They definitely take time. I am lucky if I can shove some toast down their throats before they leave. It always feels a bit chaotic in the mornings with teenagers.
I drink black coffee. I used to be a cappuccino girl, but I went straight to black coffee once I moved to America. I have one of those percolator machines and I use Peet’s coffee.
I do a Wordle every morning. I play on a Wordle chain. I’m very competitive with games and we have seven or eight people on our chain. Whoever won the day before gets to choose the word. I like to get that done before 10 a.m.
Exercise sets the day for me. Most of the exercise I do now is strength training. I still like yoga, but mostly I lift weights. Sometimes I go to a gym and sometimes I do it on my own with a video. Keith Anthony is a guy that I met at a class a long time ago. He now has a website and he has recordings, so I just do his videos.
After I exercise, I’ll have boiled eggs or with avocado and tomato, or yogurt with berries and granola. I like to not eat before I exercise.
In the shower I use Hårklinikken Stabilizing Scalp Shampoo. This is a Danish company at the forefront of haircare that a friend recommended to me. My hair is thinning and Hårklinikken’s products create stronger, healthier hair growth. I’ve seen great results and have been using these products for a couple of years.
My post-shower routine tends to be simple. I just put moisturizer on. I love The Power Move by Stripes [Watts’s skincare and beauty company]. It’s really good for sensitive and dry skin.
Naomi’s life and routine is basically my yearly New Years’ resolution, lol. I’m not a morning person, but every night, I set my coffee pot to go off at an early time because I resolve to start my day as soon as I wake up to use the restroom instead of crawling back into bed and trying to squeeze in another 30-45 minutes of sleep. I love that she’s disciplined enough to write down her dreams, too. I don’t think that’s “woo-woo” at all. I’ve tried it a couple of times, but it’s never stuck. I did buy one of those “dream dictionary” books a long time ago, though, because I do believe that your dreams are trying to tell you something. I’ve just never been good at figuring out what!
Oh, and I suppose I do have one thing in common with Naomi. I do coffee and Wordle first thing in the morning too (and Connections and Strands and, if I’m in the mood to feel frustrated, The Mini). I’m not that competitive, though. I just do it for the self-satisfaction I get when I guess the right word. Also, I think it’s funny how many celebrities are in competitive Wordle groups. Celebrities, they’re just like us.
Photos credit: JosiahW/Backgrid, IMAGO/RW/Avalon, Roger Wong/INSTARimages