Making My World Smaller

Why retreat can be a form of progress

After nearly a month of travel in October and November followed by the holiday bustle, when January came around, I was spent – physically and emotionally.   Faced with a colder-than-normal winter and a historically bad flu season predicted, I opted for retreat and self-care.  It was time to make my world smaller for a while.

Instead of outside engagement I turned inward.  This was the perfect time to dial in some better habits.  Dry January – bring it on.  For diet I returned to plant based (not perfectly, but as consistently as I could).  But my goal wasn’t perfection – it was to set some guardrails to support my long term efforts, to give me a fall-back when (inevitably) my food choices slide into unhealthy territory. 

Having made a commitment to walk/jog a 10K race in June, I dove head-first into the fitness plan that would prepare me, while giving more attention to some other supporting habits like sleep.  Four weeks in, I’m seeing encouraging results – my blood glucose averages are down, as are my weight (down 14 lbs) and waist measurement (down 1 inch). 

More importantly, I feel the calm of the seasonal quiet, an increase in physical stamina, and the strengthening of routines.  I feel confident continuing the habits I’ve built, so not much is changing as January closes, in terms of my behavior. 

But my attitude towards my ability to meet my fitness challenges has shifted dramatically to the positive.  I can’t overstate that as a win.

This month of stepping back – from food, drink, social engagement, and spending – after the excesses of the holidays was a necessary reset for me.  I don’t want to live this way all year, but I’m glad I did it for a time.  This retreat wasn’t about hiding from life – it was about priming myself for a more engaged life.