Welcome to The Academic Life! In this episode you’ll hear about:

Why doing writing and other kinds of retreats are part of the hidden curriculum

How taking time for self-care is crucial to doing well at work and at school

What a retreat is

How to do a retreat at home

Ways retreating helps you think and feel better, and the science that proves it


Today’s book is: DIY Solo Retreats: A Handbook for Creating Your Space, Setting an Intention and Getting the Self-Care You Deserve, by S. A. Snyder. Whether you need time to decompress, listen for answers to nagging questions, read, write, or recharge your life, a personal retreat might be what you need. But when going away on a retreat is too expensive or just not possible, this handbook helps you create your own retreat. Whether you want to find time to journal, meditate, or tackle that writing assignment, this how-to guide for retreating may just be the book you're looking for.
Our guest is: S.A. Snyder, who has been a professional writer for more than 30 years. She has worn hats as a newspaper columnist and reporter, writing instructor, communications manager and consultant, blogger, and book author. With humor and insight, she inspires others through the telling of her own experiences to examine what it means to live a meaningful life. She currently blogs about self-care and random commentary on contemporary life. She is the author of DIY Solo Retreats: A Handbook for Creating Your Space, Setting an Intention and Getting the Self-Care You Deserve.
Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, the co-creator and co-producer of the Academic Life. She is a historian of women and gender.
Listeners to this episode might also be interested in:


Atomic Habits, by James Clear


Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott


It’s a Wonderful Life, by Frank Martel


Make Your Art No Matter What, by Beth Pickens


From To-Do to Done, by Maura Thomas

This episode on guided meditation


This episode on finishing your book when things are going wrong https://newbooksnetwork.com/finishing-your-book-when-life-is-a-disaster


This episode on writing a book proposal https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-book-proposal-book


Sarah’s website on DIY retreats



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