How to Plan a Personal Retreat (Even During Quarantine)

Everyone needs to withdraw from the world now and again. Especially right now it can be easy to get caught up in the news or let your stir-craziness get to you. Have you ever thought of setting up a personal retreat for yourself? It’s kind of like going on a retreat, but you plan it and it’s within the boundaries of your limits (home, park, community, etc.)

You don’t need to travel across the world and spend five days in silence in a monastery to get the benefits of a personal retreat.

You are the ruler in this world and can set up a retreat that fits your needs and your wants. This works best if you live alone as it is hard to avoid people you live with during this quarantine period. However, there are ways around this. If you need to lock yourself in a room or break this up into 4-hour blocks to really allow yourself to dive deep into this personal journey, by all means, feel free.

Ask yourself, “Why do I need this retreat?”

Figure out your purpose of the retreat. Is it to get creative? Is it to figure out what might be blocking your energy? Maybe, it is just to have some peace and quiet without the buzz of everything else going on.

Consider these concepts from My Sweet Home Life when figuring out the main purpose of your retreat:

• giving yourself time and space to indulge in loved but neglected hobby
• working on an important personal goal
• connecting with nature in all its glory
• embracing a spiritual practice, which may include mediation, praying, yoga, or mindfulness practices.
• resting and relaxing your body and your mind
• practicing gratitude for your past, present and future
• bonding with your loved one by focusing solely on each other

By definition, the word retreat means to withdraw from and so first and foremost, the purpose of your personal retreat is to move away from your everyday life with all its stresses and strains.

Why and How do you start planning out your mini personal retreat?

Trust me. It is so much easier to have your retreat planned out and written down somewhere for you to follow to keep you on track over you flying freely willy-nilly through your time blocks thinking you know what you want to accomplish next.

Take out a blank piece of paper and write down your thoughts.

Take about 2-3 minutes to think of 5 things you love to make or do or 5 things that make you happy.Some examples might be going on a walk, journaling, knitting, painting, cooking, reading, etc.

Write them down on your blank page.

Pick ONE thing and choose a date in the near future for your retreat. Incorporate a reward for yourself if you need to in order to get yourself to commit to that date(s) and time for yourself. You decide how long you'd like your retreat to be. It can be 2 hours, it can be two days. You know what you need. Accommodate it and really commit to it.

Amp yourself up and get yourself excited about it. You are giving yourself the gift of free time to complete what you want! YAY!

What do I need to make the most of this time?

Prepare the space you are going to be using for the majority of your retreat. Your bedroom, a nature path nearby, or your backyard are all great contenders. You know what boundaries you have to work with. Pick the best one for you and your purpose.

To create a retreat space in your home make sure your space is tidy. There is nothing more distracting than a messy zen zone. Get this done prior to your retreat and promise yourself you won't partake in any cleaning habits until your retreat is over.

Plan out a menu for this time. Meal prepping is suggested but sometimes cooking is in line with your retreat. Make something you enjoy making though. Purchase everything you plan to eat. This may sound controlling but it really helps with the ease of keeping your mind in a relaxed state.

Unplug for a bit. If you must bring your phone for an app or video you plan to utilize totally fine, but distract yourself from the offline world. That is where all of the hustle and bustle comes form. If you can, download everything in advance.

What do you want to do on your personal retreat?

Now we’re getting to the fun stuff of what to do on a personal retreat!

There are two key questions to ask here – what do you want to do and what don’t you want to do.

Make a list of all the things you want to do.

If your retreat has a self-care focus, for example, your to-do list might include

• going for a brisk walk
• doing a hair treatment
• having a long bath by candlelight
• sleeping until you wake up
• practicing yoga

If your retreat has a gratitude focus, your to-do list might include

• starting a gratitude journal using daily prompts
• looking through photographs and memorabilia and reflecting positively on the value of the memory and the people and placed involved in it
• reflecting on your financial situations and being grateful for what you do have

You can see that you can get super-inventive with how you spend your time!

You also need to make a list of what you don’t want to do.

Essentially these are going to be things that will distract you from your purpose. For most people, this is going to include some form of not engaging with social media or fussing with daily household chores.

As a general guideline, I would suggest that all personal retreats should have these non-negotiables:

• healthful food that nourishes your body as well as your taste buds
• plenty of water
• plenty of sleep, especially if you have been running on empty
• no social media
• a treat item ( my favorite part)

For your treat item, consider purchasing ONE small thing that would give you a lot of pleasure. Even better if you can use it during this retreat time. Something like purchasing a really nice journal or a fancy bath bomb.

I’m a big fan of making self-care boxes for retreats. Mine typically includes a yummy snack for me to eat, a candle with a scent I enjoy, a meditative oil, an activity set (painting, coloring, etc) and a beauty product like an eye mask.

Now that you’ve finished the planning stages, start implementing. Schedule out time blocks or let your body do what it needs to accomplish. Try to plan as much as possible so the least amount of thinking has to happen. It's kind of like when you go to a conference and there is a schedule handed to you and you just follow it. It is a mindless state that is often taken for granted. 

In today’s world, it can be challenging to truly take a break, to retreat from your commitments, and take some time to rest and recharge. What are some things you would consider on your personal retreat? Have you ever done one before?