Retreat to Return

Summer is a season most of us look forward to all year with more outside time for gardening, barbecues, picnics, baseball games and concerts. And, this increased activity can feel overwhelming in our already very full lives. Instead of trying to squeeze it all in, we need to take a step back and slow down to to fully experience it. We need to retreat to return.

The 2nd yearly offsite retreat for the Well-Being Coaches at Cone Health offered the opportunity for these nurses to return to their own well-being. The sacred day was all about them creating the space to connect, engage, and restore themselves through various activities including silence in the woods, creative exercises, yoga practice, and group sharing.

Even though I meet with these coaches every month and know them very well, spending the day with them allowed me to witness their professional and personal growth firsthand. They shared achieving significant weight loss, completing a Masters program, applying for higher level positions, and practicing healthier boundaries personally and professionally. This was all possible because they prioritized themselves by practicing Self-Leadership.

Here are a few of their reflections for the day, which beautifully illustrate why we all need to retreat to return.

• The silent walk was such a beautiful time to connect with myself! I have never given myself the time for space to allow for such inward focus.

• I am leaving today calm, centered, peaceful and even more certain that THIS is the right work for our nursing culture.

• Today was glorious. My heart, soul, and brain needed this time to reset, refuel, reconnect.

• This day provided being present with myself.. nature.. walking.. reflecting.. yoga.. encouragement, honest transparent conversations…these are foundational for myself and the team.

• As I reflect on the experiences, emotions, and insights gathered throughout the day, I find myself feeling more grounded, more open-hearted, and deeply grateful for the space that was created to simply be.

• I felt lighter, not because all my challenges had vanished, but because I had taken the time to acknowledge them.

• In a world that often rewards busyness and overlooks stillness, today was a radical act of self-love and reminded me that wellbeing is not a destination, but a way of living—a choice to come back to again and again, even in small ways.

• Today I committed to truly putting myself before others, focusing on what I say I’m going to do, and doing it. Keeping my word to someone else is not more important than keeping my word to myself. 

• I realize I’m more powerful now than I ever have been thanks to this program and the work I’ve done for myself, on myself!

• In the end, today’s retreat was not just a retreat from life, but a return to it—more centered, more open, and more aligned with what truly matters.

While a full day is ideal, you can create your own sacred space to retreat, even for an hour with nature, art, movement, or anything that fills you up and calms you down. Experiment with this and let me know if it helps you return to yourself.