Space is probably the last thing type “A” people add to their to-do list, but it’s the key to productivity and happiness.
Lately, I’ve been reminding a number of my sensitive clients about how important it is. We’re talking work-life balance, better boundaries, prioritizing what’s really important, and taking decent breaks.
It’s a little thing called Space to Breath. Space to Think. Space to have fun. Space to Enjoy Living.
One way you can catch up for lost time and regain clarity around the big picture is by taking a personal retreat. It is an investment in your energy, motivation, self-worth and focus that will definitely pay itself back many times over.
Today I’ll be sharing about the retreat I took this week, the challenges and the benefits.
Here’s a five minute video on the topic of Space and Retreat to Relieve Stress and Overwhelm
The biggest challenge for me is getting dates on the calendar so it will really happen. During the post-holiday season, I came up with the idea to take a retreat, and figured I might as well take it sooner rather than later.
To make sure I’d get that idea on the calendar I shared my dream at two networking meetings. I love On Purpose Women in Maryland. This was deliberately instead of a work goal because I work all the time, but I’ve never taken a trip by myself without crashing at a friend’s.
If I didn’t get someone to hold me accountable, I’d roll forward into the year without creating the SPACE I needed.
My group also helped remind me to keep setting goals each week like deciding what city to stay in, researching bed and breakfasts (Thanks Bella Vista B&N in Philadelphia), brainstorming activities, booking personal care appointments, adding information about stores, restaurants, and activities to a list on my phone, and of course packing.
Scheduling appointments creates it own challenges: if you are only retreating for a few days, it requires careful balance not to over schedule yourself.
Remember the goal is space, but you have your own preferences. Will it help you to know what movie time to go to? To have your nail appointment set? Or is flexibility and spontaneity nicer? I definitely recommend booking massage or haircuts in advance, so you can get the practitioner and time you want.
Personally, I ended up making only one: my massage appointment since my favorite hairguy disappeared from Philly and I could walk in to get a pedicure.
Packing: the earlier the better, and the less the better.
I have a personal block around packing. Whether I travel internationally, or to a friend’s house, I always seem to be doing things last minute, pack too many things, and forget something of importance trying to get out the door. This time was no different! But I did make my massage appointment in time, which I had deliberately scheduled early to force myself to get on the road.
But if I had bothered to check my premade packing list-I would have remembered a few things!
I was more concerned with what books and notebooks to bring. I always have grandiose notions of what I will get done on a trip– read through all my journals, write a todo list with everything I’ll do for months. Yeah didn’t touch it. You can leave most books at home, or do a Coco Chanel and remove something right before you go.
And then there’s the challenge of what really happens on a retreat. You can’t control weather, or your mood.
It snowed while I was away so I didn’t go walking around the city like I had planned. I didn’t do all the things on my list. No pedicure. I got stuck in a weird part of the city exploring and it would have been too much hassle to get to the art museum to sketch. I got a parking ticket, rats! But that’s ok.
Remember that the point of the retreat isn’t the appointments, or the activities, it’s the SPACE to let yourself be you.
Be sure to leave some flexibility in your schedule, allow yourself to reschedule things if necessary, so that you can make the experience what you are in the mood for. It’s time to give yourself your every whim! Even if it’s doing a lot of nothing.
You don’t need to do something exciting so you can tell other people about it. This is your time.
Also, keep your eyes open for any “stuff” that comes up.
I have to admit the first night of my retreat was weird. I didn’t really want to get into the notebooks I brought, so I just watched TV. I thought did I really come all this way to watch a buzzing TV. But yes, I did, and it was what I needed.
And since I get lonely at night, I reached out to a local friend and we got together for dinner on day 2. Yay! Fun.
I used EFT to regain calm when I was feeling a little weird about not working on anything and just chilling out.
As I’ve mentioned previously, I did get a ticket on Day 3 of my retreat. It felt really unfair because a pile of ice prevented me from backing up enough– and it was $75.
I could have let it get me down. I could have punished myself with negative self talk or refusing to spend money on the next thing I wanted to do.
Instead when things didn’t get my way, I paused to breath, and name everything I was grateful for in that moment.
It’s a sure fire way to get your head back where it should be– appreciating yourself.
And in the last minute, when I couldn’t make it to the Philadelphia Art Museum because there was a detour in West Philly, I did something even better. I decided to visit my alma mater.
The whole experience of the retreat was incredibly powerful for me and here’s what I got out of it.
I regained a sense of vision around all the projects I have planned for the year ahead. My ideas have begun to take form, shape and color, like they are almost ready to pop out into reality.
Even more important I’ve gotten in touch with how valuable my time really is— how this space is helping me, and how in order to reach many many people with courses and books, I need to be realistic about my capacity for private clients. But I feel really good about it, because I’ll create more impact.
(I have a special ending this weekend, so if you’d like to work together, I highly suggest reserving your spot now. Due to my limited time, I will soon be taking my general scheduler down for a time and and speaking to me will be by application only.)
And I got in touch with how valuable I really am. I saw the world in my special way, and how I’ve grown from five years ago when I lived or studied in Philadelphia. I could see how much I’ve grown and how much I really do have to offer. I saw visions and signs leading me to the Sofia Wren I am meant to be in the future, and in a way, now that I’ve connected with that, that brilliant future self exists right now, too, lighting my path with love.
So was it worth the approximately $500 I spent on hotel, great food, massage, a new pair of earrings, art supplies, frames for the house, and that parking ticket?
Yup. Every penny.
And so I gave myself a little space to post this just a tad bit late. 🙂
See you next time, and remember to reserve your spot today for intuitive readings and coaching, so you can overcome fear and uncertainty in your life. Sensitive, caring people who see the world a different way deserve happiness and calm, too.
