DIY At-Home Retreat reflection: how did you go?
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It’s been over two weeks since our DIY At-Home Retreat—so it’s reflection time.
How did you go?
I committed to the full three days of self-care while juggling three little kids and running a growing business—and I’m already planning my next one in early May!
Thank you to those who emailed me their DIY At-Home Retreat plans—they really highlighted a need within our Canberra community. Even our local ABC radio presenter jumped in on the retreat, and asked me questions about creating a stay-cation for the weekend.
It’s crazy that it’s only February, and we all need a retreat already. Shouldn’t we feel refreshed and recharged after our summer holidays? Nope. There’s too much climate stress around us to feel recharged—most of our holidays were spent trapped inside because of the smoke or feeling anxious about our neighbours on fire.
My favourite part of the DIY retreat was the variety of people it helped:
- Stay at home mums
- Full-time workers without kids
- Full-time workers with kids
- Part-time workers with and without kids
- Husbands who joined in on the “chillax”
We all need a little space—breathing space. The trick is in creating and scheduling this space and allowing it to happen without guilt.
But there’s always room to improve! These are the changes I’ll be making for my next DIY at-home retreat.
Print out my schedule and put it in a place where I can see it—and kids can’t reach it
A hike up Mt Ainslie with extra resistance on my back.
For my next retreat, I’m going to laminate the schedule so orange juice, mashed banana and permanent markers aren’t the main feature.
Hint: don’t let kids under five highlight your schedule. Yes, you want them to be a part of the process and journey, but you also want to be able to see what you’ve scheduled for the next day!
Kids can be a part of the DIY retreat too.
Having a visible schedule is the key for success. As a busy Mum, living in a “fantastic mess” (read article here), I’ll forget that I’ve committed to the DIY retreat—so I need to have a reminder up on the fridge, and on the mirror in the bathroom. No excuses here.
Family meeting about WHY I’m doing the retreat needs to happen each night and morning
Kids need a friendly reminder, and so does the husband.
This will allow a smooth sailing transition—from “overloaded Mummy” to “retreat chillaxed Mummy”.
Did I mention I’m already planning the next DIY retreat?!
Retreat Burger without the bun.
Don’t delegate the washing
Just do it. Let’s be realistic.
Next time I’ll budget for a facemask every night
My skin felt so hydrated after the first night’s face mask— and they only cost $5 from Target.
Or, if you want to save the plastic wrapping, combine 1/2 cup hot (not boiling) water and 1/3 cup oatmeal with a spoon. After the water and oatmeal have settled for three minutes, mix in 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt, 1 tablespoon of avocado, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 small egg white.
Apply a thin layer of the mask to your face, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Done.
More gratitude, more often
Everyone needs a reliable accountability buddy.
Life is so busy. Next retreat, I’ll be scheduling more time to just be still and be grateful.
I have a gratitude diary, which I fill in every week. However, during the next retreat, I’d like to make use of it for the full three days. I find the gratitude diary mixes in well with my meditation.
What changes will you make for your next retreat? I’d love to hear your reflections…
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