In May 2022, I was at a breaking point.

My company was accelerating. Responsibilities kept piling up. I had 12 employees to manage and dozens of decisions to make every day. And at home, two young kids who were not yet sleeping through the night.

I no longer knew where to turn.
I had lost control of my time.
Of my priorities.
Of my clarity.

In short, I was on the edge of burnout.

So I made a radical decision: I booked a remote Airbnb in the Pyrenees, and I left.

Not to rest.
To rebuild.

What I lived through there is what I now call the Deep Work Retreat.

My goals when I left were the following:

Three years later, I do this retreat twice a year.

And every time, the effect is the same: a few days are enough to transform my energy, my vision, my trajectory.

Today, I am going to share the complete protocol of this Deep Work Retreat, so that you too can find your bearings again when everything seems to be getting away from you.

When should you organize a Deep Work Retreat?

"The greatest challenge of our time is not to succeed, but not to lose ourselves along the way." Alexandre Jollien, philosopher

If you run a company, a team, or simply your own life, I am convinced you should do a Deep Work Retreat at least once a year.

Personally, I do two. Sometimes more, depending on what I need.

To stay clear, performant, and lucid.

The signs that you need one:

If you recognized yourself in one or more of these points, it is not trivial.

It is a signal you should really listen to.

Still not sure? Ask yourself these two questions:

Ready to go?

Now let's see how to turn your retreat into a true lever of transformation.

The 10 golden rules of a Deep Work Retreat

"It is only in solitude that we can hear the clearest ideas." Ryan Holiday

After several retreats, I noticed something simple: for the week to succeed, you need real discipline before and during.

Otherwise, the week goes by, and nothing has changed.

You might as well take a proper vacation...

Here are the 10 fundamental rules I follow every time, and that I recommend you follow too.

Bonus tip: if you really want to trigger a mental shift, treat this week as a solemn commitment to yourself. It is a productivity contract. Not time "off".

The steps you cannot afford to miss

The pre-retreat, a crucial step

It starts well before.

What you do in the days leading up to it, or what you fail to let go of, will determine 80% of the impact of your week.

Why?

Because if your mind is still hooked to your emails, your calendar or your emergencies, you have no chance of diving deep into a productivity bubble.

Here is what I systematically do before each retreat:

Tip: print or write down this list.

Nailing your "entry" into the retreat

Every time I do a retreat, I realize the entry is not as obvious as you might think.

The first hours can be sensitive, because your head is still at work, on problems, on family, and so on.

So I created an entry ritual:

Every time, this ritual acts as a switch. My energy changes. My mind slows down.

And I feel that I have truly entered the retreat.

The 2 phases of a typical day

A Deep Work Retreat day is not a marathon.

This duo creates a formidable leverage effect: moving forward on what matters and regaining deep mental clarity.

1. Deep Work: creating strategic value

In this phase, it is not about working more.

It is about working in depth on what will shape the next 6 to 12 months of your company and/or your life.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to define your Deep Work blocks:

But also:

Examples of high-leverage tasks:

Golden rule: if it does not require intense concentration, it is not Deep Work.

During this block:

2. Deep Rest: regenerate, connect, feel

This phase is the secret sauce of the retreat.

It is often neglected. Or worse, avoided.
Because in our culture, resting is still seen as a weakness.

As a young business owner, I often felt strong guilt when disconnecting: "If I am not producing, I am wasting time."

But over time, I understood something: we were not designed to sit 8+ hours a day in front of a screen, without interruption, forcing our attention.

Deep Rest is not a lack of productivity.

On the contrary, it is a key moment to rebuild yourself, consolidate your thoughts, and let new ideas emerge.

Here, the goal is simple: give your body and mind some air.

I usually plan 2 to 3 hour mindful walks.

I head out into nature (usually the mountains), no music, phone in airplane mode.

The approach is completely introspective and contemplative.

On other Deep Rest blocks, I may also practice activities such as:

You can build your own list of regenerating practices. The idea is not to "fill the time", but to touch something slower, more alive, more inner.

The absolute rule of the retreat: alternate these two forces.

It is their controlled alternation that makes this retreat a transformative week.

To go deeper on the recovery side, I built a complete guide on Deep Rest, covering NSDR and Yoga Nidra, two practices particularly suited to this kind of retreat.

Example of a typical day

My alarm goes off at 6:55 am.

Unlike the trendy morning routines circulating on social media, I start directly with a Deep Work block. The transition from bed to desk is almost instant.

Morning structure:

During these blocks, I am in airplane mode, with zero distractions.

The goal is to enter a state of deep flow right from the start of the day.

Afternoon: introspection and strategy

A successful block = entering a state of flow.

Note: walks are essential in my routine. They allow me not only to regenerate, but also to let the invisible connections between the morning's ideas emerge. I use a voice recorder so I do not lose the productive thoughts that come to mind.

The evening ritual: anchoring the transformation

Each day ends with a block of introspective writing.

I often write:

Writing is my way of crystallizing what could have been lost along the way.

Important reminder

This structure is not set in stone. I use it as a base, but I listen to myself. Some days, I do five Deep Work blocks. Others, I allow myself more rest, more silence, more slowness.

The real success of a day is not in the number of tasks. It is in your level of presence to what you are doing.

If you cannot focus on a task, or your energy calls you elsewhere, do not hesitate to take a break, switch tasks, or even stop the block entirely.

It is essential to listen to your sensations.

The benefits of Deep Work Retreats

Over time, I noticed that these retreats transformed much more than my productivity. They help me come back to the essentials. To put my energy back where it counts.

On a personal level, the effects can include:

On a professional level:

And sometimes, there are even unexpected side effects:

In short, these retreats change the trajectory of your year, but they also bring unique benefits each time, depending on the context and your needs of the moment.

Final word

My first Deep Work Retreat marked me far beyond what I imagined.

I had come to take back control of my schedule. I left with a clearer mind, a higher vision, a more aligned energy.

Since then, it has become a ritual.

Sometimes 5 full days. Sometimes a shorter format, over 24, 48 or 72 hours.

But every time, the effect is the same: I become again an entrepreneur, husband and father who thinks with clarity.

What about you? Are you ready for your own retreat?

If this protocol speaks to you, the best thing you can do is block a date in your calendar today. Otherwise, in 6 months, you will be at the same point.

Thibault

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