Everyone needs to take a vacation or a retreat every so often, and you need a personal retreat yourself. Can’t get away from work or whatever project you are doing? Keep reading and you will see why you really, really, REALLY need to take that personal retreat to gather yourself or just to meditate and get yourself back on the right path. Trust me you really will take that personal retreat once you realize how useful and helpful it is to go on these mini vacations.

1.Healthy – Retreats have been found to reduce stress. Stress is no joke and there are tons of ways to deal with it, however a personal retreat is definitely one of the top ones for me. Take the time to get into meditation, which will further reduce your stress during your personal retreat and allow yourself to really think about what is important and what you need to focus on.

2.Focus on projects – Sometimes when you are knee-deep into work, you can’t see what really matters or what project needs your full attention. Take the time to step back during a personal retreat and see from a step or two back, this really puts things into perspective and allows you to work more efficiently in the long run, this will of course end up with more favorable results for whatever project you may have on your plate. I can’t tell you how much this has saved me from making mistakes by rushing a project, I tend to step back, get into some meditation and reassess my situation before moving forward. This has helped me properly engage whatever project I have on my plate.

Keep a journal or keep your goal-setting on paper for motivation.

3.Journaling – During your personal retreat, take the time to jot down on a journal. Studies have shown that it is good for stress relief and has a positive effect on people when they take the time to write down whatever thoughts they have. I love writing in my own journal, sometimes my thoughts get really deep or other times it is silly and pointless, but whatever it is, I take the time to write it and it has really helped me thus far. It’s also a great form of self expression and emotional outlet.

4.Self-worth – Make time to take care of someone extremely important to you: YOURSELF. On your personal retreat, give in to a little (or more) well-deserved pampering. It’s a good oomph on your self importance. The world often goes by and we forget that if anyone is going to treat us right, it should be ourselves.

5.Off the grid – When you are on a personal retreat, it would be wise to disconnect yourself from the world and allow some real meditation. We often try to get some time to ourselves however we are distracted by our tablets, smart phones and so much more as we check our social media and email pretty much anywhere. When you are on personal retreat do not do that, I know it may sound a little extreme for some but this is the only way you will ever get into deep meditation. Fine you can check your mail or social media but perhaps limit it to once a day while on personal retreat.

6.Special treatment – When on personal retreat make it special for yourself, it can be however which way you want it since it is as the name states, a personal matter. Enjoy yourself, heaven knows you deserve it. Tailor fit the personal retreat just for you, after all no one knows what you like more than yourself, might as well make the most out of it to really enjoy the vacation.

7.Encourage others – While on personal retreat it would be good to go into meditation and think about the people who you should appreciate. Write them some letters that you can share when you get back, for sure some of them could really use the encouragement and this will really bring you guys closer together. I love doing this since I have so much to be grateful for and there are so many people that I want to thank, during my own personal retreat I go through my meditation to make sure that I can really assess who it is I want to thank.

8.Take the time to finish DIYs – There might be gift ideas that you want to make yourself or something for the house that you’ve been wanting to do but have put off for quite some time, well, delay it no more. During your personal retreat you can finally do those things that you have been putting off. It can be seen as a sort of meditation for quite a few people, as most of the DIY stuff is usually born of a hobby or interest so it should be fun and relaxing.

For some people, doing a DIY project is a way to meditate and relax. Let that creativity flow!

9.Reading time – There is a great satisfaction in getting through some books you have been dying to read. Page after wonderful page of a book you’ve put on the backburner is something you can really enjoy during your personal retreat. I like to sit back with a glass of wine and read up on my books, sometimes even when I’m soaking in the tub, it’s just so relaxing and very stress relieving.

10.Goal setting – During a personal retreat, you need to reassess your goals in mind. Have you achieved what you set out to do a month ago? The start of the year? Last year? Perhaps you have or perhaps you haven’t. It would be ideal to really take stock in yourself and see your goals and what you have achieved. Of course it would be ideal to also see where you can improve as this is a continuous process for all of us. Keep setting your goals during your personal retreat or during your meditation sessions in order to really get yourself a step towards being your ideal self.

11.Coming home refreshed – The satisfaction of coming home stress-free and a lot more refreshed is something people around you will truly appreciate. When you aren’t riddled with stress or problems, your general aura is better and people can sense that. They will thank you for taking the time to take care of yourself during your personal retreat that they too can see how positive it was for you and who knows, perhaps they might be inspired to take a personal retreat on their own as well.

There should always be a good time to step back, relax and see where you are going in life. You’ll thank yourself in the long run. Stay healthy!