The Radical Retreat: 10 Ideas for Doing Less (On Purpose)

Steal them. Adapt them. Or just dream about them slowly.

In my previous post I told you about my friend who came to visit me here in San Miguel de Allende. He spent most of the day holed up in the bedroom—cool and quiet—while I worked. When we finally sat down for dinner, I asked what he’d done with his day. He smiled, relieved, and said:

“I deleted over 50 gigs of old photos. I’d never be able to do that at home. I never have the time.”

It wasn’t a task on his to-do list. It wasn’t urgent. But it gave him a sense of clarity. Completion. Breathing room. That kind of deep satisfaction only comes when you finally slow down enough to hear yourself think.

It reminded me of a woman in the UK who runs retreats where all the guests do is read. That’s it. No workshops, no tight itinerary. Some people sit by the pool with a paperback, others curl up in a castle corner with a cup of tea and a stack of books. Sometimes they go out for a glass of wine or a massage, but mostly? They read.

And it works.
Because there’s magic in stillness.

So whether you’re a retreat planner, a burned-out professional, or a daydreamer who loves imagining the kind of escape you could take someday—here are ten “Slow Retreat” ideas to contemplate, borrow, or build on.

Let’s stop glorifying the hustle. Let’s start celebrating the pause.

Need some ideas for these “Quiet Retreats”? Here’s 10 that I think you’ll love.