Going on a Retreat to Remember
“Sometimes you have to step outside of the person you’ve been, and remember the person you were meant to be.”— Unknown
The pace of our work is relentless. Demands come from all directions, and even our “time off” can feel more often like recovery than renewal. Sure, vacations can help when we truly unplug, but there is another kind of stepping away that serves a different and equally essential purpose—a retreat. Not as an escape from life, but a deliberate movement toward it, a retreat can provide intentional space that combines unfamiliarity and structure to create the opportunity to reflect, remember, recalibrate, and realign with what matters most to us.
I recall arriving at such a retreat early in my career feeling both tired and skeptical. It was my choice to attend, but I quickly had second thoughts. I knew no one and even initial introductions felt like great effort. And yet, through the skilled facilitation of our leaders and the exploration of questions that did not settle for surface answers, I gradually found myself engaging in important conversations about things that mattered deeply to me and felt an unexpected connection to this group of now kindred spirits as we explored purpose and possibility, disappointments and dreams. I had stepped into something I hadn’t realized I needed—or even existed.
Research suggests that retreat experiences are effective not simply because we step away, but because they combine several powerful elements rarely present together in daily life: protected time for reflection, distance from routine demands, meaningful connection with others, and often immersion in restorative environments. Together, these conditions support improved well-being, deeper insight, and the potential for lasting change.
It is for this reason that I continue to prioritize going on regular retreats. In a profession where we too rarely truly pause, choosing to attend a retreat is not indulgent but rather essential. What might it look like for you to commit to attending a retreat in the coming year? One such opportunity would be to consider going on a Bounce Travels Retreat, which are designed to provide the experience described above (and you can use your CME funds). I’ll be cofacilitating one in September with Corey Martin and would love to have you join us.
Ultimately, a retreat is not simply about the time away. It’s about what lasts when you return—a clearer sense of direction and renewed connection to purpose, and likely a meaningful shift in how you show up for your patients, your colleagues, your family, and your own life. In work as meaningful, and demanding, as ours, that kind of pause seems less indulgence than wisdom. And it all starts with an intentional decision to “step outside of the person you’ve been, and remember the person you were meant to be.” It’s time to remember ... again.