If you’re overworked and stressed like the majority of Americans, you may be looking for ways to unwind. Sometimes, all you need is a good vacation, but sometimes, vacations involve so much planning and sightseeing that you need another vacation to recover from the first one. Instead, this year, consider investing in a wellness retreat to truly improve your outlook and get you ready to attack your work with new vigor.
What Is a Retreat?
A retreat is like a soul-centered vacation. You are able to get away from home and stay in lovely accommodations, but you’ll also have access to wellness activities like meditation and yoga. Experts explain that to reset your stress level with a vacation, you need to engage in a mentally stimulating activity and should also get some exercise. The nice thing about going to a retreat is that you don’t have to plan any of these activities yourself. For example, Valmora Retreat, owned by Michael Jusbasche, offers classes in everything from music to blacksmithing. By purchasing everything together, you not only save on planning, but the total cost is better than buying each element separately. Finally, most retreats pride themselves on providing fine dining options like farm-to-table, slow food, and vegetarian focuses.
Do Retreats Have Value?
While new research indicates that a lot of work burnout has to do with the work environment, there are things you can do to reduce your own stress. Burnout is more than feeling exhausted at work. It can have a significant impact on your ability to do your job. You may have increased cynicism about the value of your work and lose the creative spark that allows you to be the most effective at your job. At its worst, job burnout can lead to a plethora of issues that affect your whole life, from headaches and stomach pain to anxiety and depression. Treating and preventing burnout is crucial to your workplace happiness.
According to a study in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, not only did retreat participants have better health values after a week at a retreat, but they maintained those gains six weeks after the retreat concluded. These gains included better blood pressure, lower weight, and improved scores on self-assessed psychological questionnaires like the Pittsburgh Insomnia Rating Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. So the payoff of attending a wellness retreat is real. While some people may only have the time for a few days at a retreat, most are set up to allow you to stay for several weeks, creating longer health benefits. Visit www.browsewellness.com as they can provide physical, mental and spiritual improvement in a natural way.
One of the biggest draws of going on a retreat is that it allows you to focus on yourself. Whether you are a high-power executive or a stay-at-home parent, you likely don’t have much time to focus on the things that are best for you, instead turning your focus outward all the time. A retreat, literally moving away from the world and turning that focus inward, can be the perfect way to move you forward in life once you step back up to your responsibilities.
