Getting ready for your Virtual Mini-Retreat

Just like anything, a small amount of time spent preparing will mean you get to really relax and enjoy your retreat! Here are some suggestions:

Schedule time for your mini-retreat – block off a space on your calendar. It could be half a day, a full day, even two or three days. During these days, give yourself permission to ignore the rest of your never-ending to-do list. This is what you’re doing.

Set boundaries – if you share your space with other people, let them know you will be doing a mini-retreat, and that you need this time and space to yourself. In exchange, they will be getting a better version of you when you’re done! Turn off your notifications, and commit to one or two specific times during the day when you’ll check your email/voicemail (try not to make this the first or last thing you do in a day).

Make space – it will be easier to relax and sink into the activities if you aren’t tripping over things within your space. This maybe isn’t the time for a big spring cleaning, but a tidy bit of space where you can spend your retreat time will make it more comfortable both physically and mentally.

Plan food – something that I really thanked myself for was pre-planning meals and snacks for the days of my mini-retreat. Leftovers are great, having a huge salad made up to snack on throughout, trail mix or something similar is great for easy snacking. Soup is another one that can be prepared ahead and easily heated up when you’re ready. One of my favourite things to do is to make a batch of smoothies ahead of time, freeze them, and then thaw the day before as needed. Here’s my smoothie recipe – adjust as needed for your personal tastes:

-       Juice of 2 oranges, 1 grapefruit, 1 lime, ginger (about a 1” piece)*

-       Big handful of fresh spinach

-       Soft tofu (100 g)

-       1 banana

-       1-2 cups plain yogurt

-       1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

-       1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

-       A few dashes of cinnamon

-       Dash of cayenne pepper

Put everything in a blender, blend until smooth. Taste and adjust for flavour. Store in mason jars in freezer, thaw in fridge one day before using. This makes enough for about 3 500mL jars.

*if you don’t have a juicer, just use unsweetened citrus juice of your choice.

Choose comfy clothing – this might be standard after months of working from home, but worth a mention anyways

Gather up your journaling +/or craft supplies – this will be different for everyone, and I’ve included a separate list of suggestions here.