By Alyssa Hagman
Over this last year, self-care has been moved to the top of my list. I think I even made it my New Year’s Resolution.. Funny how we don’t remember those things. But I guess you could say that my intentions have always been to work on getting better every day. Whether that’s through working on a new skill, exercising more, or actively scheduling “rest” into my calendar. One of my favorite ways to schedule self-care is planning my own at-home wellness retreat. Although taking a trip to a new tropical vacation destination to do yoga on the beach sounds much more relaxing than a trip to the couch, a getaway is sadly not always in my budget. In that case, I’ve reserved an entire weekend at a simple and affordable cost in the comfort of my own home and you can too!
Create an agenda. I’ve been known to look up retreats that I’ve put on my bucket list and replicate their agenda activities. Do research to plan your relaxing get away, as the point of the retreat is a detox, so you won’t be using technology aside from meditation or yoga apps. Check out agendas in advance or write down ideas you’d think would be most relaxing in a journal.
Get active. My at-home retreats start with morning meditation using an app such as Soultime, head into a yoga series compliments of youtube, and then preparing a healthy new recipe I’ve been dying to try. I take the afternoons at my leisure, because for the planner in me, I sometimes have a hard time with wanting to schedule every little detail and no spontaneity. So afternoons typically look like a nap because my body tells me it’s tired. To end the day, I set aside time to journal and reflect, put on a luxurious face mask and take a hot bubble bath (maybe with a glass of wine!). The next day I check out a new workout class with ClassPass. I follow with an outdoor activity like a hike in the woods and finally, set up an appointment for a massage at my local spa. One new item I’ve recently added to one of my days is the idea of creating a vision board. Cut out pictures from magazines and write out goals that you can visibly look at as you work on achieving them.
Nourish your body. Whether you prepare by grabbing some veggies at the grocery store beforehand, schedule a stop by the local farmers market, or try the new vegan place down the street during your retreat, make sure to keep it healthy! It’s only two days, you can do this! Taking the time to nourish your body, when most work weeks are on-the-go, can help bring clarity and you might even find you like some new meals!
Treat this weekend as a reTREAT. When you are looking for a break away from your everyday routine, that includes away from family and friends. Take some personal time away and let them know you are busy for the weekend and you’ll be in touch Sunday night/Monday morning. My biggest struggle was disconnecting from work emails, but honestly there is nothing so important that can’t be handled Monday morning. I learned to look at the weekend as a treat for all of my hard work I put in the week prior and that I deserved a little “me” time.
It may just be a few days before coming back to a full inbox, but allowing yourself space in your schedule to rest can really help you become more productive during the work week. Removing the burdens from your mind for a few days, melting away the stress with a massage treatment, and even becoming motivated to kickstart those healthy eating habits again can all come from the comfort of a staycation in your own home.