Me Time Exclusive | Joan Lunden: A Pursuit of Passion

Joan Lunden, former Good Morning America co-anchor, accomplished author and busy mom of seven, touches the lives of those around her by inspiring them to live a healthy lifestyle.

Ask Joan Lunden how she spends her “me time” and her voice is calm and unwavering: “I stay healthy”. This busy mom of seven finds motivation not only to stay healthy for her and her family, but she is passionate about helping other women stay healthy, happy and balanced as well! Lunden’s passion is also fueled by the women that she meets around the country. In an exclusive interview, Joan shared with metime.com her answer to a frequently asked question: “now that we have it all, how do we do it all?”

Me Time: Joan, how do you answer the question of “How to do it all”? Is a woman’s health a key ingredient?

JL: “So many of us can have kids and have this family life, and also have exciting and challenging and fulfilling careers. The question is how to do both at the same time, and also carve out some time for you. And that is the time that brings you back to center, lets you relax a little bit and not being just in that care-taker mode… the default for most women. We make sure that our kids have all their different great, fun, sports activities and we make sure that they go to the doctor. I ask women “are you taking care of your health?” Unfortunately an all too common answer is they haven’t been to a doctor in years. They aren’t having important and what could be lifesaving tests like regular pap smears, mammograms or a colonoscopy. It stops me in my tracks and I look at them and they’re educated women. They know better.”

Me Time: what was your inspiration in filming Behind Closed Doors ?

JL: “not because I wanted a ticket to adventure and to be able to cover amazing things in life, I did it to keep myself in shape. If I really, honestly said what are the main driving forces to do that, part of it was to force myself to remain fit. I can’t sit with a book signing line and shake every woman’s hand and tell them to pay attention to themselves if I don’t come home and do the same thing. But, when you come home to 4 little kids at home and 3 older children who really look to you for everything, you still have to go really out of your way to make sure you put that me time on your schedule. And your me time can be anything from getting together with a girlfriend at the end of the day to have a cold drink together, a cup of tea together, to chit chat. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. That’s me time in it’s truest, simplest form. The connecting with someone else to share your stories, to inspire each other, to be a sounding board for each other.”

Throughout the year Joan maintains a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle and spreads awareness of re-engaging a women’s sense of play, but, she is careful to lead by example. She and husband Jeff workout together on a regular basis. And now Joan, her daughter, and other staff at Joan Lunden Productions are planning to join a gym together so they can attend after work while enjoying each other’s camaraderie and support.

Me Time: a lot of women understand that health is important in being able to enjoy life, be a good parent and have the energy to enjoy well deserved me time. But many women do not follow through to become fit and healthy. What can you say to those women?

JL: “I think that happens to be one of the secrets that I’ve found for a lot of women. A lot of women will never do this on their own. Maybe they’re feeling a little isolated and they aren’t going to make that time to get together with women. If women seek partnerships they are likely to find someone in their community or network. If you can team up with that neighbor, that cousin, that sister, that friend, that co-worker, someone else that gets done everyday at the same time and goes out to that parking lot and gets in their car when you get in your car… to me, that is one of the keys,” Joan explained. “I think women give permission to themselves to enjoy me time if they’re doing it with someone else.”

For the past ten years Joan has been traveling to Maine to spend her summers at Camp Takajo, a lakeside retreat for boys that her husband, Jeff Konigsberg, owns and operates. She describes the environment as “exhilarating” and has created Camp Reveille for women to share the lessons and messages she finds important. It is in this camp environment that she hopes to share these lessons and messages with women in need of me time and in need of help to escape the demands of a hectic lifestyle. The four day, three night getaway in Naples, Maine encourages women to “play like a kid, be pampered, and connect with other women.” Attendees of the camp pick and choose the activities that they would enjoy, including arts and crafts, jewelry making, campfires (with ghost-stories!), watersports such as canoeing or kayaking, playing in team softball games or tennis matches, listening to inspiring speakers, participating in tai chi or yoga classes or scaling a 50 ft rock climbing wall – just to name a few.

Me Time: Your personal summer experiences at Camp Takajo have played a role in your outlook and led to the creation of Camp Reveille. Can you describe those experiences you hope to give other busy women?

JL: “At the end of each summer I always find I’m in my best shape, my spirits are lifted and I feel energized and inspired. A lot of women come maybe without the intent of doing that much, but, we usually engage them in a lot more than they thought they might be partaking in. Even if it’s a breathing session that helps them learn how to de-stress when they go back home, I feel that everyone leaves camp with some new techniques to help them figure out how to de-stress themselves… and they’ve learned the importance of me time.”

Me Time: You must get a lot of self-fulfillment and satisfaction seeing the smiles on the camper’s faces.

JL: “Seeing them unwind and kind of let go of things you literally see the transformation from the time they check in on Thursday afternoon. To the anticipation you see at that first dinner, to the letting go the next morning during the whacked up relay, to watching them on Saturday night at the big campfire listening to each other, and you see it in their faces how they can inspire each other. And when they leave on Sunday the looks on their faces is worth a thousand words”.

Many of us feel like we have grown up with Joan Lunden over the years. To have the opportunity to speak to someone who has accomplished so much in her life both personally and professionally, it is interesting to hear her reflect on what is truly important in her life. When thinking about the importance of me time, she not only acknowledges the need for quality me time in every woman’s life, but puts specific emphasis on the role a woman’s health plays in her ability to lead a quality life and her ability to enjoy a wide range of me time activities. Excercising is not necessarily considered me time for every woman, but she points out that regular doctor’s visits and annual tests are important for every woman to adhere to for basic health and must be scheduled. Her health is what allows her to accomplish all that she does now and makes her a better mother, partner to her husband Jeff, and maintain her active career.

For more information on Joan Lunden’s mission or to register for Camp Reveille visit www.campreveille.com.

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