I found a way to have a wellness retreat at home for complete rejuvenation. Since staying home with the kids, I’ve found I need to make sure I spend my time alone wisely. Being susceptible to others’ emotions leaves me drained. I am still learning how to protect myself energetically. Dreaming of escaping to a spa has been on repeat in my mind. I knew it wasn't in the cards to go in the center of a pandemic.
I came up with the idea that I would be free of all family duties for 24 hours. Thankfully my husband was on board. I didn’t like the name “vacation” day because it projected that I binged on tv and other mindless activities. At first, I would try and have one of these days every couple of months. However, the idea of having 24 hours that didn’t revolve around the wants and needs of others was euphoric.
You can have your wellness retreat right at home for complete rejuvenation
The first few vacation days, I would work like crazy. I took pictures for my website, made recipes, or learned ways to get a blog designed and running. After that, I would take a nice bath, but I was usually working at that time too. It didn’t make my husband very happy that I felt burnt out after giving me time to myself.
So then came the mindless scrolling and eating foods that don’t make my body feel that great. I felt somewhat rested, but I didn’t feel great about the time spent. I would lose track of time. Then I would think there was no point in only spending a small amount of time on my work stuff.
When I finally get time alone, I have a hard time balancing productivity and giving my body the care it needs
I would think, “if I could only go to a spa, then I would give myself the care it deserves.” With Covid, I knew a venture like that was pretty far off. I also thought about my last two trip experiences (details in this article) and realized I don’t need to go anywhere to give myself the love and care it needs. You can have an at-home retreat for complete rejuvenation.
So I have made this general outline of what I would do to feel equally rested and productive. Every time I am left feeling rejuvenated. The basis of this day has a devotion to cyclical nature. You don't have to experience a cycle to benefit from this concept. The seasons of mother earth follow along with this idea as well. I have taken this day to be more on the restful side. I have also taken this day to be as productive as I can be without overdoing it. It is really up to you how you would like this time spent. Your wellbeing is your main goal, so try and focus on healthy eating and nourishing activities.
Let's call this day the Floductivity 24 hour Retreat: A wellness retreat at home for complete rejuvenation
Here are the rules for a purposeful day to yourself:
- Communicate with everyone in your household this is a time you shouldn’t be disturbed (yes, even your kids)
- Keep your phone away (or on do not disturb)
- Avoid numbing food/activities such as alcohol, junk food, & media (unless it pertains to your productivity)
Here are some tips that help me stay on track for my day to be well spent:
- Do what feels good to you that is healthy
- If you make a mistake, then acknowledge and try again (don’t give up)
- Don’t watch the clock but listen to your body, be sure to check in regularly
- No chores (my rule since I am at home all day so this might not apply to you)
There are suggested times to do certain activities, but you are in charge. That means sometimes we keep doing an activity that feels good and have to leave behind something else. Let's think of this day as growing your self-love & self-investment bank account. Each activity you do earns a check, but the check can’t get deposited without your signature. The way you get the check signed is to embody the activity fully. Doing the activities to check it off your list is not what to do for this day. It won’t grow your account in a way that makes a big difference.
Each time you devote 24 hours to your wellbeing, you will bring totally different activities and experiences. So be open to trying new things. Maybe cook a new dish, try a craft you’ve always wanted to try. If it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, learning from it will add to your self-love account.
You can make this at home wellness retreat for self-care, productivity, or a mix of both
If this day is to embrace what feels good fully, I have a simple method to allow yourself to enjoy the day. When I am doing an activity, I check in to see where it falls in the 1-10 joy scale.
- 7 or higher I keep doing it
- 7 or below, I move on to something else.
You can decide this day is to be productive then understand that checking in with yourself is very important. Also, it is important to understand that what we think we need to get done may shift into something else. Anytime I have stood strong in what I thought I needed to accomplish, it never turned out as I wanted. When I’ve allowed the chance to pivot into another work project that felt more aligned, it exceeded my expectations.
Be open to what may come up for you
I didn’t think being stuck in a house would allow this to work. My husband would get the kids and dog out of the house, which was great. It only bought an hour or so which is better than nothing. To be honest, at first, the only place I knew I wouldn’t be bothered was our bedroom. So that’s where I’d be if I wasn’t outside. The door would be shut and locked just like if I was in a hotel room.
I would plan for a solo hike to get out of the house. Even just sitting outside if the family was inside. I, of course, would see my family at times throughout the day. If there were a place/time that I needed space, I would have that conversation with the whole family. We would work together to make sure they could find another space for occupying.
Setting myself up for success is to plan prior to the at-home wellness retreat and not the day of
I plan and map out the day ahead of time but do not write any of it in stone. I find I have a bit of ADHD when I finally get some time to myself. In that case, I end up getting overwhelmed and picking up my phone and scroll. Planning out what may sound good to me leaves me with a menu of options. Then when the day comes, I can look at and see what may feel good on that day.
Another important step for me was to set myself up for success with healthy eating options
I’ll cook a healthy batch of something the day before or have food prepared ready to eat. Avoiding dairy and gluten for this time period is something I try to implement. However, I do keep some Lily’s chocolate on hand because a girl still needs a treat.
Changing my Floductivity 24hr Retreat around every time, I plan one has kept this concept fresh. Because I am usually in a different phase in my menstrual cycle, it is dependant on the activities I choose. That plays a big part in my nutrition, workout, journaling, self-investment, and self-love rituals. Nature is non-negotiable since it has so many healing properties (even in the rain and cold).
Not grabbing your phone will most definitely be the hardest part, but it has the biggest reward in the end. Anytime I’ve said “just another 10 minutes,” I find myself mindlessly stuck on it. So until I can keep that boundary, NO MINDLESS PHONE USE is at the top of my rule list.
MY reasons I fee are acceptable to break the no electronics rule:
- Spotify for my phase-specific meditations, my embodiment playlist, and binaural beats for when I’m working
- Ideas and inspiration flow to me when I center my well-being while working on my business. I want to make sure I don't overdo it though. Rest is also important
- Any courses or podcasts that bring me joy while bringing expansion
- My kindle
Here are FREE general templates for each season to give you an idea of what a day could look like. Now you can plan your at-home retreat for complete rejuvenation.
I created an Ebook menu for making your own Floductivity 24hr Retreat.
What each season has for suggested items:
- affirmations
- nutrition
- workouts
- self-investment
- self-love
- journal
- intentions (where you should focus your energy on that day)
If you aren’t experiencing a menstrual cycle, you can still unlock this magical way of honoring yourself. Using the season which Mother Earth is experiencing at that moment is a compelling way as well! The great thing about the ebook is that it can be used forever and as many times as you’d like! Here is the ETSY link.
Different ways to use the planner
- Read on your phone, computer or tablet
- Use on a note-taking app on your tablet to use digitally
The end goal is to feel refreshed and not feel drained when we finally have some time to ourselves
Mindlessly scrolling or binging on a show doesn’t fill me with the love and energy my body desperately craves. Or the stillness my mind forgets actually exists. So take this as a sign that it’s time to plan your day, which will bring you joy, peace, and love. I’ve gotten so much more from these days than a day at the spa. I hope you see the power it can bring to you!
Take this day to give yourself the chance to connect within. To see what you need with self-care, and even bring your work to another level. This is the retreat you've needed to inspire for new ideas, give yourself rest, or be creative. Take it however you like, set the rules that work for you. Let it flourish into something different every time. I’ve found so much power in using it for rest and productivity. I try to plan one every month.
I recently planned a whole weekend retreat around this concept. It was one of the most impactful weekends I have ever had. I can’t wait to share about it, so stay tuned. Until next time.
With Gratitude,
Cara