Although I’ve alluded to my recreational property in some of my posts, I’ve never shared about it directly. So I thought it was time to talk about my cabin. Because Secret Springs is a big part of my life. It’s a place that we retreat to most weekends during the summer.

When we first bought our property, we pulled a trailer up to it and that worked for a few years. But the heater malfunctioned, making it difficult to enjoy the trailer during the late fall, winter, and early spring. This led us to build a cabin. Little did we know how difficult the process would be. Finding a site for the cabin was the hardest part.

But despite the difficulties, we didn’t give up and today we have a small cabin, with amenities like electricity, running water and even a toilet. For me, going to the cabin is my retreat. It’s a place to get away from the hectic life that we lead. Slowing down helps me to cope better with day-to-day stresses.

Here are some benefits of getting away for cabin time.

Cabin Time Can Help You to…

Slow Down

When you go to a secluded place, there are fewer activities that you have to do. Fewer errands to the store and more time to relax. The pace of your days gets slower. When you slow down, you have more time to think and connect with your loved ones.

Get More Exercise

When you’re on a retreat, you have more time for activities you enjoy. Not a quick trip to the gym, but a nice long hike or a bike ride. Yes, there’s still plenty of hammock time, but getting out and going for a walk or a swim in the lake is great exercise.

Connect With Your Family

These days we’re all rushing so much that we rarely have time to talk to each other. When you’re on cabin time, you are more likely to engage in conversations big and small. This is one of my favorite things about going away to the cabin. We often just sit outside and take the time to talk to each other. This might involve a campfire and s’mores.

Get More Rest

When you’re on cabin time, there’s no time schedule. You can sleep in if you want or go to bed early. Your days move in a rhythm that helps you to get more rest and you come away relaxed and renewed.

Plan and Prepare Relaxed Meals

This slower schedule gives you time to take care of the important things in life. Like cooking healthy meals. No running out to a grab a quick bite at a fast-food restaurant. The entire family can get involved in planning your meals and everyone pitches in to get food on the table. When we’re at the cabin, we enjoy special meals that I don’t take the time to fix back home. However, I don’t spend hours cooking gourmet meals. In fact, I frequently cook meals in the crockpot so I can go hiking instead.

Connect With Friends and Neighbors

We have quite a few friends and neighbors who live close to our cabin. We often share meals together or enjoy campfires in the evenings. Cabin time is a great opportunity to get to know those who live close to you. Life back home always seems to be on fast forward, but when you’re on cabin time everyone seems to have more time for each other.

Enjoy Nature

One of the great benefits of getting away to a secluded cabin is that the setting is often in a mountainous area. That means lots of trees and wildlife to enjoy. Over the years we’ve seen not only deer but elk, bear, cougar, moose, owls, and turkey at our cabin. We watch hummingbirds and hear the sounds of many birds. We see bats in the evening and butterflies in the day. The wildflowers are another source of enjoyment. There’s always something blooming in our valley to discover.

Take Time to Reflect

One special benefit of cabin time is that you can spend more time thinking and reflecting on your life. Without the constant bombardment of phones, computers and social media, you have more time to just be still and quiet. Self-reflection gives us the opportunity to analyze our lives and the pathways that we’re on.

Make Family Memories

Going to the cabin has given us many memories that our family shares. From the first days when we literally hacked out a place to put the trailer to the visits from special family members such as my dear Mother-in-Law who is no longer with us. Getting away together gives you the opportunity to build bonds with your family.

Celebrate Every Day

When you’re on cabin time, each day is a wonderful celebration. Whether you’re lounging, hiking, puzzling, or making s’mores every activity is a reason to celebrate the time you have to be with your family.

Now you might think “that’s all well and good that you have a cabin to retreat to but I don’t have a cabin”. We can all find ways to get away for some cabin time even without the cabin. Maybe you live close to the beach and can rent a house or condo. Or you have a camper you can take to the mountains. Your place of retreat might be a tent pitched beside a lake. Or maybe you have a favorite B and B that you can escape to.

The point of cabin time is that you make opportunities in your life to get away from the chaos and hectic life that you are living. Cabin time is a mindset. You take some time to focus on relaxing and getting rejuvenated so that when you go back to “normal” life you can better cope with all that life throws your way.

I just want to encourage you to make some “cabin time” for yourself and family. It will be time well spent.

Would you like to know more about spending time at a weekend retreat? I wrote a book about cabin life called Weekend Living At The Cabin. It’s loaded with helpful suggestions on getting away from your busy life and taking time to get recharged. It covers everything you need to know about making the most of your weekend retreat.