5 Blissful Benefits of Retreating You Never Considered but Want

Retreats are a popular idea for a lot of people. Some, however, cannot see the benefits. There are long-lasting benefits to the body and mind that you may not have considered. I will share 5 Blissful Benefits of Retreating You Never Considered but Want.

Achieve a Long-lasting sense of peace

When we are experiencing increased stress. It almost feels like our amygdala has taken us hostage. We experience stress anytime we are afraid, angry, hate, anxious, panicked, or disgusted. The amygdala is the part of our brain that goes into action for our survival. In The Neuroscience of Peace, Robyn Short said “the human brain is wired for survival.”

We learned about fight, flight or freeze in 2nd grade science class. Whenever we feel threatened fight, flight, or freeze kicks in. Instant changes happen. The body goes into overdrive, pumping super juice such as hormones through our bodies. The hormones cause our bodies to function super efficiently.

Retreats help us to activate our pre-frontal cortex which allows us to think and make informed behavior choices. When we think clearly, not only can we make decisions that keep us safe, but we can also make decisions that improve the quality of our lives.

Create time for self-reflection

Self-reflection offers a chance to engage the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain helps us think. During self-reflection time, we clear the clutter that clogs our brain. We move inward to consider our own thoughts, feelings, and desires. We also create space to consider how we react and interact with the world around us. Self-reflection promotes self-care. Self-care is a one of the 5 blissful benefits of retreating.

Begin time self-reflection time by setting an intention to switch from auto pilot thinking to manual thinking. See, describe, and note what is happening “right now.” This act helps you to become aware of the facts of your present experiences. Move to a less stressful environment to give the brain a chance to think.

Next, breathe like a sleeping baby. Sleeping babies take slow, even breaths. When we breathe like we were born to breathe, we get all that good oxygen flowing to every part of our bodies. It also engages the prefrontal cortex.
When you notice a feeling, give it a name. The moment a person recognizes and labels a feeling, it creates a shift that begins to disengage the amygdala and engage the prefrontal cortex. We start to calm down and feel a sense of relief.

Finally, journal or document the thoughts, feelings and emotions brought on by the self-reflection experience. This will give you additional information about yourself to reflect upon at a later time. When you have done this, you will have gained the 2nd of the 5 blissful benefits of retreating.

Make time for community

Community membership gives us social connection and a sense of belonging. Studies have shown that we are healthier physically, mentally, and emotionally when we belong to a supportive community. How do we know that we are in a community? Community is fostered through a demonstration of empathy and collaboration.

Daniel Golman who wrote Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ speaks of three types of empathy and described it as follows. Cognitive empathy is recognizing how another person feels. We can see things from that person’s perspective. Emotional empathy is genuinely feeling the emotions of another person. This type of empathy promotes bonding, attachment, trust, and loyalty. Finally, empathetic empathy is equivalent to compassion. We feel another person’s suffering and as a result are moved to alleviate it.

Community members express empathy for those in their community. This is one more of our blissful benefits of retreating.

Getting back to basics

Kenneth Cloke, the Director of the Center for Dispute Resolution wrote Conflict Revolution: Designing Preventative Solutions for Chronic Social, Economic and Political Conflicts. He shared a list of actions that we can take to get back to basics. The following list was adapted from his work. I invite you to read the book to learn more.

• Be open and honest avoiding unstated rules and secrets
• Listen closely to others with empathy
• Act with integrity and respect; treat others the way you want to be treated
• Invite conversation with people and groups that have not been included before
• Be curious; ask questions
• Change the ways we think about success and failure
• Give more generously of ourselves
• If it isn’t working, whatever it is, stop the process,
• Model the behaviors we value and believe in
• Engage in unilateral acts of love and kindness without any expectation of reciprocity

Another resource that speaks to basics of life is the well-known book by Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things.

Setting your mind at ease

In summary, retreats help to set your mind at ease. You can lean to manage the fight, flight, or freeze response when it gets triggered. You spend time in self-reflection clearing your mind of unnecessary clutter. You also get to spend enjoyable time with a community of like-minded individuals. Last, but not least, retreats encourage us to get back to basics regarding how we react and interact with the world around us.

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