I’m an introvert.

It’s estimated that up to half the population are introverts. 

If you’re one yourself, you know you need time to be alone. Not talking, not doing, but just being with YOU.

I know I need this time. As an entrepreneur, I get to choose the time I take off, which can be hard to take. Why? Because I love what I do. 

But I get irritated when I don’t take time away. Time to totally unplug and be with ME. Time outside, time to BE. I can honestly say I enjoy my own company. It’s restorative time, not lonely time. 

My “plan” is to take a week off every other month, but that didn’t happen this month and I could feel myself get more and more “out of sorts” – feeling irritable, frustrated, and just plane yucky. 

I needed to give back to myself. So I asked around and found a friend with a summer home on Hebgen Lake. Beautiful. I made the plan – three days to myself, no electronics, nothing to do but just for me to be. 

I put in a request for great weather, and voila, that’s what happened. Bluebird days, warmth in the sun sitting on the deck, no wind – perfect fall days.

I could feel the irritability leaving my body. I rested, I slept, I walked, I journaled, and I ate. When my mind began planning and doing, I brought it back to the present moment. That’s the only place I wanted to be.

I discovered new places, rivers and lakes, watched Dippers on the Madison River, enjoyed the reflection of the sun on the water, took lots of deep breathes, and by the time I left, I felt totally at ease, totally peaceful, and truly content. 

Taking that time for yourself is a gift and it’s needed – it’s not a luxury. 

Follow these 5 helpful steps on creating your own self-retreat to renew and relax. Your body, heart, and mind all need it!

1. Decide you’re going to do it. Get out of your own way by dropping the excuses of, “I don’t have enough time,” or “I don’t have enough money.” They are the top 2 excuses your mind uses for not doing something worthwhile. When you make it a priority, you have the time, and you have the money.
    
2. Decide where. Let your mind wonder with the environment you want to be in. Where would you most like to be? What’s your second best choice? Do you want to be near water, in the forest, beach, open space, mountains, desert? You get to choose. There are great Forest Service cabins you can rent in many USFS areas of the US – some primitive, some more fancy. Check them out around the Bozeman area.

3. Decide when. If you’re feeling like you need that time now, make it happen in the next week or two. Don’t wait. And look at the calendar for when you want to plan it in the next 1 – 2 months.
    
4. Decide how long. I recommend 3 to 4 days if you can, but one night is great too, and 5 days are awesome.
    
5. Leave the electronics at home. Leave your phone, computer, alarms, games, and whatever distracts you from being present. Leave it. It will be there for you when you get back. This is time for you to get back in touch with you. Your center. Your life energy. You won’t find that in your electronics. Bring art supplies, a good book, your journal, hiking shoes, great food, a pet, and your sense of adventure.

Enjoy your self-retreat, and send me note when you get back to tell me about it – I would love to hear!

Categories: Health & Happiness