Post Updated: July 10, 2025
Short mini-retreats, only a few hours long,
can still be (very) effective
4 Simple Ideas to Include in Your Mini-Retreat
Have you ever had one of those days where nothing is really wrong, but everything just feels off?
I had one recently. It followed a long stretch of full workdays (even Saturday, something I try not to do anymore). I had blocked out Monday to work on my business, visioning, planning, catching up, but nothing was clicking. I sat at my desk staring at my screen, unsure how long I’d been zoning out.
Eventually, I turned to the dogs and said out loud, “I know I’m supposed to be doing something today, but I can’t figure out what it is.”
Cue the idea of a mini-retreat.
Why “Big Retreats” Rarely Happen
For years, I’ve romanticized the idea of a retreat: a weekend away at a cozy hotel (or cabin if I’m being honest!) with my journal, books, planner, and snacks. A few days to pray, rest, process, and reconnect with what matters most.
But life rarely allows space for that kind of retreat. Between client work, family caregiving, chronic fatigue, and trying to keep the wheels turning, it can feel impossible to get away. Especially for women like us in midlife, juggling multiple layers of transition.
That Monday, I needed something simpler. Something restoring and doable.
And I found it.
Want a simple routine that helps
you reconnect with what matters most?
Download the Weekly Business Examen & Review Starter Kit. A gentle routine to reflect, reset, and realign your heart and your work.
4 Simple Ideas to Include In Your Mini-Retreat
Before we get to the list here’s something to consider.
We make a big deal of taking a retreat much bigger in our heads than they need to be or should be. Self-care has become a checklist of things to do. We’ve turned self-care into productivity.
When you read through the 4 ideas below, they may sound too simple. That’s actually the point!
Simple ideas are often the best ideas and are the ideas you will follow-through with and add to your calendar.
A mini-reatreat can be 15 minutes up to an hour or two. Having a SIMPLE list of things you could do quickly and easily is all you need to slow down and refill the reserves that feel depleted during high stress seasons.
Once you know how simple it really can be and you start to include it in your schedule and calendar, you can build on it and create mini retreats that you love, look forward to, and actually schedule.
Here’s what my mini-retreat looked like:
1. Take a Nap (Yes, really.)
I was exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, physically. Though I rarely nap (they often make me feel worse), I knew I needed rest. Even a short stretch with my eyes closed, the dogs curled up beside me, helped clear the fog and slow the spiral.
If you’re feeling fuzzy or frazzled, it’s okay to rest. You’re not lazy. You’re human.
2. Step Outside (No Agenda Required)
The weather was crisp but sunny, so I brought my journal and a blanket to the back deck. I watched the dogs snooze in sun patches and let myself just be. No list. No pressure. Just time to breathe and let my thoughts settle.
Even ten minutes outdoors, away from screens and to-dos, can soften everything.
3. Write What’s On Your Heart
When I finally picked up my journal, I didn’t force clarity. I just started writing. Where had the overwhelm come from? What was I really carrying?
As I wrote, the knots in my brain started to loosen. I didn’t solve everything, but I found space to hear myself again.
Sometimes clarity isn’t something you “figure out”. It’s something that surfaces when you slow down long enough to listen.
4. Skip Cooking. Grab Takeout.
After a day like that, the idea of making dinner felt like too much. So I picked up enchiladas from a local favorite, curled up on the couch, and watched “The Lost Kitchen” (a show I love for its mix of beauty, creativity, and slow living). That simple choice gave me a little more space to exhale.
What Else Could be Included in A Mini-Retreat?
Click here to for a fun list.
Mini-Retreats Are Strategic Rest, Not a Luxury
I recently heard the phrase “strategic withdrawal” to describe retreating. It stuck with me.
Because when we’re building meaningful, values-based businesses in midlife, especially after burnout, life changes, or just years of pushing through, it’s easy to keep going until we crash. But what if we didn’t have to?
What if stepping back for a few hours, just to be, to breathe, to reconnect with yourself, was actually a wise, soul-smart business decision?
Let This Be Your Gentle Invitation
Mini-retreats don’t have to be a production. You don’t need to earn them or schedule a whole weekend.
You just need a pocket of space, a little willingness to pause, and permission to let rest be productive.
So here’s your nudge: Look at your calendar and block off a couple of hours. This week if you can. Definitely within the next 30 days.
Call it whatever you need: a mini-retreat, a soul reset, a business Sabbath. But give yourself that space.
You’re allowed to pause.
You’re allowed to reset.
You’re allowed to listen to what your soul is trying to say.
And if you try it—I’d love to hear how it goes.
Would you like help crafting a simple ritual or framework to make mini-retreats part of your monthly rhythm? Here are a few favorite practices I love to share.
- The Selah Journal: The Be Still Edition – A printed mini-retreat guide (Click Here: Available on Amazon)
- The Photo Noticing Walk Journal: A Mini-Retreat Guide – For slow, sensory outdoor retreats (Click Here: Available on Amazon)
- Weekly Business Reset – A digital starter kit for your Monday reset rhythm (Click here to read more)
- Business Meetings With God – A simple, scripture-based process to align your business with God’s will in just one intentional meeting at a time (Click here to learn more)
Marta Goertzen is a Gentle Business Coach and founder of Selah Studios, host of the Doing Business Gently podcast. She helps Christian women entrepreneurs over 50 rediscover who they’ve become, realign their business to match, and fall in love with their work again, gently, at their pace, without starting over. As an avid photographer and lover of the outdoors, she daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her dog Mochi in tow. Take the free Business Alignment Audit as your gentle first step, a way to pause, get honest, and see clearly where you and your business are right now: https://SelahStudios.co/alignmentaudit