The Cost
Whether you work in a corporate setting or are self-employed, stress is probably an inherent part of your work environment. How could it not be with financial goals and due dates looming over your head constantly? Add to that the sad reality that nowhere on the treadmill can you take time to stop and actually connect on a meaningful level with your peers and co-workers.
A connection is required for bonding and creating an atmosphere where conversations flow naturally. Where positive emotions are engendered and people are able to work more amiably with less stress.
Dive deeper and you will find many studies showing that cognitive tasks are easier when people are able to complete them under less pressure.
Stressing less breeds greater innovation and creativity. Our research indicates that when people can express their creativity, they are happier. And, not surprisingly, happy employees are more productive which yields greater income and job satisfaction. Thus the benefits obtained from the retreat far outweigh the cost.
The Benefits
There are different types of retreats. There are working retreats, VIP retreats, yoga retreats, spiritual retreats, and the list goes on and on.
Look up the meaning of retreat and you will find the following definitions: the act of withdrawing, whether forced or strategic, as into safety or privacy; a place of refuge or seclusion. Other explanations refer to creative exercises for problem-solving, meditation for mindfulness.
But in reality, retreats take us from our everyday work lives and give us respite so that we can eventually redirect our focus with clarity. Successful retreats allow for connections to be made on many different levels.
Open space retreats in the great outdoors offer creative thinking opportunities where the processes are informal and discussions become more organic and more truthful.
From corporate CEO retreats to local non-profit gatherings, all have similar functions and desired outcomes. One desired benefit is connection with co-workers, where conversations may be more natural.
Another desired benefit is the individual growth that these retreats yield. Retreats often produce insights and birth goals that the everyday work routine doesn’t allow. And as we all know, individual goals are necessary for growth and success.
Win-Win benefits
We weren’t designed to work in offices or cubicles week in and week out for 60+ plus hour week. We weren’t designed to be busy, busy, busy. The mind-body connection is real. Retreats allow us to take a time-out so that we can recharge, rejuvenate and rethink about what we do and why we do it. Still think you can't afford it?
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