“Rewrite the September 8, 2023: Feeling tired, overwhelmed, stressed, unmotivated, or fatigued? It’s time to prioritize self-care. According to recent McKinsey research, consumer interest in wellness has been on the rise, particularly in areas like nutrition, health, fitness, appearance, mindfulness, and sleep. While booking a week-long stay at a wellness resort may not be feasible for everyone, you can create your own meaningful wellness retreat at home. But where do you begin, and what aspects of well-being should you focus on? WebMD spoke with experts from Hilton Head Health, a renowned wellness center, for advice on recreating the wellness retreat experience at home. Recognize the value of self-care In our fast-paced, always-connected lives, self-care is more important than ever. Anne Poirier, director of behavioral health at Hilton Head Health, defines self-care as any intentional activity that preserves or enhances your physical, emotional, or mental health. “Take the time to listen to your body and mind, and then take action. That’s what self-care is all about,” says Poirier. Self-care not only reduces stress but also increases energy and improves mood. “Creating dedicated retreat time at home can kickstart a self-care routine or provide much-needed recovery and rejuvenation to improve your overall well-being in work, family, and life,” adds Poirier. Program director David Chesworth emphasizes the goal of feeling refreshed and revitalized when returning to your daily life, which can lead to benefits such as reduced aches and pains, improved concentration, better mood, and enhanced stress management. Creating the right ambiance The first step is to determine the purpose of your retreat, says Poirier. Are you seeking rejuvenation, self-discovery, or energy? Your goal will help shape the retreat activities to meet your specific needs. Poirier suggests taking a holistic approach and considering essential components such as nutrition, fitness, recreation, curiosity, mindfulness, recovery, and relaxation. To protect your time and ensure a stress-free experience, Poirier offers practical planning tips like booking the weekend and informing others that you’ll be off the grid. Additionally, she recommends cleaning your house beforehand to avoid getting distracted by mess, planning and preparing meals and snacks in advance, creating a schedule with flexibility, and gathering all the necessary items to make your retreat space functional, beautiful, and conducive to quality ‘me time.’ Planning the duration Depending on your lifestyle, goals, and budget, your retreat can last anywhere from one day to a long weekend or even a full week. While there’s no ideal length, Bob Wright, director of lifestyle education at Hilton Head Health, suggests that the longer the retreat, the better. However, he acknowledges that a whole week may not be feasible for everyone and advises that a long weekend could still be effective. Poirier believes a weekend provides enough time for the body to decompress, but she emphasizes the benefits of even taking just one “day off” from your regular activities to fully immerse yourself in self-care. When it comes to budgeting for a DIY retreat, Chesworth offers cost-effective and splurge-worthy options. For an affordable idea, he suggests spending time outdoors to improve your mood, promote sleep, and soak up some Vitamin D. Taking a walk in a nearby park and immersing yourself in the local beauty is a great way to achieve this. Chesworth also recommends inviting a friend for a social element or going alone (without your phone) to promote mindfulness. Splurge-worthy options include booking a home massage therapist or treating yourself to a pampering treatment at a local spa. If you enjoy cooking, learn some healthy new recipes, or consider hiring a private chef or dining at healthy restaurants if you’re not confident in your culinary skills. Unveiling the retreat experience Poirier suggests including a combination of energizing and relaxing activities in your wellness retreat, depending on your goals and lifestyle. Some of these activities may include: – Nutritious meals – Spending time in nature – Meditation – Physical movement (such as yoga, walking, or dancing) – Staying hydrated (with infused water or herbal infusions) – Engaging in fun activities (like listening to music, journaling, coloring, or reading) – Pampering your body (through massage, bathing, or hair treatments) Nutrition Elizabeth Huggins, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, emphasizes the importance of identifying your personal nutritional goals for a successful wellness retreat. She advises planning meals that consist of fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains or beans while avoiding ultra-processed foods. Additionally, consider food combinations that leave you feeling satisfied and energized rather than uncomfortable or lethargic. Depending on your goals, you may want to prepare a special snack within portion control. Before eating, Huggins recommends pausing for a moment of gratitude and practicing mindful eating by being fully present and aware of your food’s sensory experience. Physical activity Incorporating a range of physical experiences that energize both your body and mind is essential during your wellness retreat. In addition to nature walks, Chesworth suggests trying new fitness classes that you’ve never had the chance to explore before. Experiment with activities like boxing, pickleball, or Pilates. Alternatively, consider working with a personal trainer, either at home or at a gym. If you prefer the convenience of a home workout, there are countless video workouts available for free on platforms like YouTube. However, if you want to replicate the energy of a retreat, you can invest in online exercise programs or subscriptions to bring that experience into your home. Sleep Creating a calming environment is crucial for quality sleep during your retreat, as sleep plays a major role in your overall health and well-being. Wright recommends prioritizing sleep for at least a week or a few days to experience its positive impact, which may motivate you to continue prioritizing sleep in the long run. Chesworth suggests investing in sleep-friendly elements, such as a quality mattress, pillows, bedding, and blackout curtains. Mindfulness and stress management Poirier emphasizes the importance of incorporating meditation into your retreat from the very beginning. Starting each morning with a grounding meditation can set a positive tone for the rest of the retreat. Use meditation apps to find the ones that work best for you, whether they are free or paid. Other stress-relieving activities could include practicing yoga, stretching, coloring, listening to relaxation music, walking in nature, journaling, taking Epsom salt baths, or enjoying laughter through comedy shows or sitcoms. Poirier also advises scheduling downtime during your retreat to simply be and avoid the common mistake of trying to fill every minute with activities. Evaluating the retreat’s success and integrating habits Wright advises being realistic with your expectations after a weekend or week-long retreat. Instead of expecting significant physiological changes, focus on factors like increased energy, reduced stress, improved rest, and enhanced mood. To measure these factors, Wright suggests considering whether you feel more rested and have a better overall mood. Cultivate these habits to continue experiencing the benefits of your wellness retreat in the long run.”
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September 8, 2023: Are you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, unmotivated or fatigued? It’s time to take better care of yourself.
Recent McKinsey research points to increased consumer interest in wellness in areas such as nutrition, health, fitness, appearance, mindfulness and sleep. A wellness retreat can help with all of this. While it would be a pleasure to book a week-long stay at a wellness resort, not everyone has the time, budget, or resources to make it happen.
Fortunately, you can do it yourself by creating a meaningful wellness retreat at home. But where do you start? And what components of well-being should you focus on?
WebMD reached out to experts at Hilton Head Health, a renowned wellness center in Hilton Head, South Carolina, for tips on how to recreate the wellness retreat experience at home.
Understand the power of self-care
In light of our on-the-go and always-connected lifestyles, emphasizing self-care takes on even greater importance these days.
Anne Poirier, director of behavioral health at Hilton Head Health, defined self-care as any activity you do intentionally to preserve or improve your physical, emotional, or mental health. “Take time to listen to what your body and mind need, and then taking action That’s what self-care is all about,” Poirier said, noting how it relieves stress, increases energy and improves mood.
“Creating and setting aside time for a retreat at home can be a wonderful way to kick-start a self-care routine or allow for true recovery and rejuvenation so your better yourself with your work, family and life,” Poirier said.
Program director David Chesworth said the goal is to return to your daily life feeling refreshed and revitalized, reaping benefits such as fewer aches and pains, greater concentration, better mood and better stress management.
Setting the stage
The most important task is to decide the objective of the withdrawal, Poirier said. Is it rejuvenation? Self discovery? Energy? Your goal will help you adapt the retreat activities to your needs. A good starting point is to consider the essential components with a holistic approach.
“The retreat process involves disconnecting from your daily life and elevating some or all of the pillars of nutrition, fitness, recreation, curiosity, mindfulness, recovery and relaxation, all of which contribute to your mind and body feeling refreshed. Chesworth noted.
Poirier offered some practical planning tips to protect your time, set boundaries, and get rid of stress.
“Book the weekend and let others know you’ll be off the grid!” she said. Nothing can derail her best-laid plans faster than unexpected visitors and disruptive phone calls.
Other pragmatic advice?
- Clean the house before the retreat so you don’t get caught up in the mess.
- Plan and prepare your meals and snacks in advance.
- Make a schedule, with some space. “At Hilton Head Health, we call this structured flexibility,” Poirier said. “I have some structure to my weekend and I’m also flexible in listening to my own needs.”
- Collect everything you need, including food, herbal teas, crayons, a journal, incense, beauty treatments, etc.
The goal is to make your retreat space functional, beautiful, relaxing, and conducive to quality “me time.”
Planning your retirement
Depending on your lifestyle, goals and budget, the retreat can last from 1 day to a long weekend or a full week. Is there an ideal length? Within reason, the longer the better, according to Bob Wright, director of lifestyle education at Hilton Head Health.
“It may not be realistic to do it for an entire week, and one day is probably not enough time to see any measurable benefit,” Wright said, noting that a long weekend could work. Poirier said a weekend provides enough time for the body to decompress. But she said it can be helpful to take even one day “off” from normal daily activities and immerse yourself in self-care.
Because budgets for a DIY retreat vary, Chesworth offers cost-effective and splurge-worthy options. An inexpensive idea is to spend time outdoors. “This is a great way to improve your mood, promote sleep, and get some vitamin D!” he said.
Go for a walk in a nearby park and connect with the local beauty. Chesworth suggests bringing a friend to add a social element or going alone (and leaving the phone at home) to add a mindful element. When it comes to splurging, Chesworth suggests booking a massage therapist to come to your home or scheduling a pampering treatment at a local spa. If you like to cook, learn some new and healthy recipes. “But if you’re afraid to cook, consider hiring a private chef or enjoying healthy meals at local restaurants,” she suggests.
Revealing the retreat experience
A good wellness retreat should include a combination of energizing and relaxing activities, Poirier said. Depending on your goals and lifestyle, this may include:
- Nutritive food
- Go out into nature
- Meditation
- Movement (yoga, walking, dancing, etc.)
- Hydration (enjoy infused water or herbal infusions)
- Fun activities (listening to music, journaling, coloring, reading)
- Pamper your body (get a massage, bathe, condition your hair).
Nutrition
Because a wellness retreat is about more than just eating healthy foods, take the time to identify your personal nutritional goals, said Elizabeth Huggins, a registered dietitian and nutritionist. “Once you’ve defined your goal(s), consider the factors that add structure to your day: food choices, portion control, dining setting and atmosphere, meal and snack times, and an approach to mindful eating,” he said.
She suggests planning meals that include fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains or beans, and leaving out ultra-processed foods. Also, consider food combinations that leave you feeling pleasantly satisfied and energized rather than uncomfortable, lethargic, or suffering from indigestion. Depending on your goals, you can prepare a special snack (think raspberry sorbet or a couple of dark chocolate squares), keeping portion control in mind.
Finally, no matter where you dine, before eating, Huggins advises pausing for a moment of gratitude and making the most of mindful eating. “Focus your attention on sensations related to the body, including sight, smell, sound, taste and texture of food,” he explained.
Physical activity
Take time to enjoy a variety of physical experiences that will energize your body and mind. In addition to nature walks, Chesworth offered some suggestions.
“This is a good time to experiment with fitness classes at a local studio that you never get to try,” she suggested. Try boxing, learn to play pickleball, or practice Pilates. Or explore working with a personal trainer, booking a session at home or at a gym.
If you are looking for guidance in the comfort of your home, following video workouts could be a great solution. Of course, you can always find free workouts on YouTube. But if you’re looking to bring the energy of a true retreat into your home, you can purchase or subscribe to online exercise programs.
Sleep
Creating a calm environment plays a key role in sleep quality.
“One of the most important things we can do to support or improve our health and well-being is to get adequate and good sleep,” Wright said.
In the short term, Wright said that if you could prioritize sleep for even a week or a few days and notice the positive impact it can have, it might motivate you to do so. regularly focus on sleep. In the long term, Chesworth suggested investing in a quality sleep-friendly environment. That might mean upgrading your mattress, pillows and bedding, and investing in blackout curtains.
Mindfulness and stress management
To cultivate mindfulness and better manage stress, Poirier said meditation should be the first thing planned for the retreat. “Start each morning with a grounding meditation to help set the tone of the retreat,” she said. Use free or paid meditation apps (like Insight Timer or Calm) to find what works best for you.
Other stress-relieving activities include practicing yoga, stretching, coloring, listening to relaxing music, walking in nature, journaling, soaking in an Epsom salt bath, and laughing (renting a comedy or watching a sitcom). Schedule some of these activities into your retreat.
“Be sure to schedule some downtime,” Poirier advised. “A mistake we make is trying to take advantage of every minute. Instead, create some space in your weekend to simply be.”
Beyond retirement: measuring success and integrating habits
Be realistic with your retirement expectations, Wright recommended.
“After a weekend retreat, or even a week-long retreat, it would be unrealistic to expect to see significant physiological changes or improvements,” he said. “I would focus more on factors like energy, stress, rest and mood.”
A way to evaluate those factors? Wright suggested conducting an assessment before and after the retreat using a scale. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10, how fatigued do you feel (1 is not at all, 10 is a lot), how stressed, how energized, etc. “If these quality-of-life indicators improved during your exercise, retreat at home, it might motivate you to implement some retreat practices on a regular basis,” he said.
If you noticed areas for improvement (more energy, less stress, more rest, less hunger, etc.), Wright recommended creating a SMART goal (specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, time-bound) around the behaviors you led to improvement.
By following these expert tips, you’ll be able to create a personalized wellness retreat at home that rejuvenates your mind, body, and spirit. More importantly, retreat can help you add self-care habits to your daily life, encouraging a sustained commitment to your physical and mental well-being.
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