I Took A Mini 'Reading Retreat' Instead Of A Pricey Holiday – I've Already Planned My Next One

Reading outdoors on the left: the old library in Trinity College on the rightIt’s been 250 years since Jane Austen was born, and everyone who knows me is all too aware that I’ve been re-reading the author’s classics to celebrate the event. As it happens, the anniversary coincided with another book-lover’s dream: “reading retreats,” which involve spending much of your holiday with your nose buried in a novel, are all over my TikTok FYP. Some of them are run by official companies, which offer days-long, themed stays with trips, reading lists, and hotel stays; you can take part in groups, and they look incredibly fun. Personally, though, I didn’t want to use any time off for my own version (nor did I particularly want to spend too much money on the break).So, I enjoyed a quick couple of days at a family member’s house and decided to explore the author’s iconic scenes – and now, I think it’s going to become the basis for my next “big” holiday. What is a “reading retreat”?A reading retreat involves immersing yourself in books for a couple of days solid, but it doesn’t mean you have to read nonstop. You can also visit the places the author may have stayed at, lived, or written about, or simply soak in the “vibe” of a novel (I used mine as an opportunity to get an “Austen walk” in). You don’t have to stick to a particular author or theme. Some people just read a lot on their “reading retreats” – you can go alone or with others, and I plan to try both.Professional reading retreats can be fully prepared with food, planned excursions, and set discussions, but publisher Penguin notes that if you don’t want to leave your house to try the trend, you don’t have to. Simply refresh your own space, invite people over if you want (possibly cooking a book-themed meal), choose your books, and set an itinerary if you want to.A bookshelf on the left: a woodcut in Jane Austen's book, which includes Kensington Gardens, on the rightI found a “reading retreat” really relaxing I usually hate overly-structured breaks, but I don’t love worrying that I’m constantly wasting my time while away. For me, a reading retreat – which involved reading, walking, and going to appropriately gorgeous houses – was the perfect combination: I had a list of stuff I wanted to do, but no set time to do it. Plus, almost everything was cheap or free, and I could recreate a lot of the fun I had (walking, reading, and visiting spots Austen had mentioned or been to) just as well at home as I did away.I’m already planning two follow-up reading retreats: one on my own, and another group saunter around Bath (with Catherine Moreland-level delusions of Gothic drama, hopefully). Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Pamela Walters, a consultant psychiatrist, said: “Unlike the more structured types of wellness getaways, they allow for more of a deep mental rest.“This can be valuable for people experiencing chronic stress, burnout, or symptoms of anxiety and depression,” she added.“I think it’s wonderfully restorative and frankly overdue. We often overlook the psychological power of slow, intentional activities like reading because they don’t appear ‘active’ in the typical wellness sense.“But this trend reflects a shift toward more sustainable forms of self-care. It recognises that wellness doesn’t always have to mean doing more: it can also mean doing less.” Having tried it, I couldn’t agree more.Related...I Tried Walking Like A Jane Austen Heroine, And My Step Count Has Never Been HigherIt's Not Just Austen – Posh Accents Are Ruining Period Dramas, Historian SaysSo THAT's Why Old Books Smell So Good

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