Navigating Post-Retreat Doldrums: What To Do if You Feel Bad After Returning From a Retreat

Your retreat experience was phenomenal.

After rest and meditation, you’re coming away from the retreat feeling refreshed, with new vigor for your life and plans to implement all that you’ve absorbed during your time away.

But at home, real life awaits — laundry, work, soccer games, and meal prep for the family. You don’t want your newfound energy to dissipate, but you’re already beginning to feel overwhelmed by life, and you haven’t even been home 24 hours.

It’s natural to feel a letdown when returning to “real life” after some exceptional time away to focus on yourself. We want to help you know how to manage those feelings and prepare yourself for getting back in the groove without losing the inspiration you felt when you left the retreat. Learn what it may feel like coming home from a retreat and how to adjust to life back at home.

Why Do People Sometimes Feel Bad When They Return From a Retreat?
Issues You Might Encounter After Returning From a Retreat
10 Ways To Help Ease Your Reentry Into Daily Life After a Powerful Retreat
Nurture Your Mind and Body at Sedona Mago Center for Well-Being and Retreat

Why Do People Sometimes Feel Bad When They Return From a Retreat?

Retreats offer a place to get away from it all and work on yourself, and going back to the real world can be a letdown for a variety of reasons. Knowing what to expect when you get back home can help you have a proactive plan to tackle it.

Consider these reasons why coming home from a powerful retreat might be a challenge:

Retreat activities vs. everyday activities – Retreat activities can have a profound impact on the brain, making it sensitive to thoughtful investigation but not to the busyness and activity of daily life. This effect can be even more pronounced the longer and quieter the retreat is.
New insights – Many insights received may be energizing and motivating while others may leave retreat participants feeling emotionally and internally spent. Either way, bringing those insights home and continuing to work on them can be challenging in a new environment.
Lack of integration time – Many people, out of necessity, may need to return directly to their roles at home or work, without much reintegration time.
Lack of interest from others – Your experience at a retreat is yours alone. When you return home, your family and friends may have a difficult time relating to your retreat encounter.

Issues You Might Encounter After Returning From a Retreat

Without a doubt, you’ll bring the uplifting results of a deep retreat home with you — things like a clearer mind, deeper resolve, and a positive outlook. It’s likely also that you’ll experience some of the following uncomfortable feelings after a retreat:

Being disconnected from family and friends
Physical illness
Extreme sensitivity
A rollercoaster of emotions — extreme highs and lows
Loneliness from missing new friends from the retreat
Hopelessness and despair
Inability to accurately share your experience with others
Feeling detached and ungrounded

10 Ways To Help Ease Your Reentry Into Daily Life After a Powerful Retreat

Knowing what to expect after a retreat can be helpful so you’re not taken off guard. Better yet, having a plan to make the transition as easy and comfortable as possible is a game changer. Before you go on your next retreat, take note of these practical tips.

#1: Try Not To Be Too Hard on Yourself

Taking care of yourself is a treat for you and those around you — spouse, children, coworkers, and friends. So don’t give in to feelings of guilt, thinking that you’ve pampered yourself more than is appropriate or “allowed.”

Remind yourself that the money you’ve spent and the time you’ve been away have been well worth it. The dividends will be realized when you return refreshed and invigorated with renewed purpose.

#2: Treat Challenges as Opportunities for Growth

Think about the time at the retreat and the things you learned.

Did you practice some new meditation techniques?
Did you regain clarity and come away with tools to live a healthier lifestyle?
Did you experience healing through activities like yoga or tai chi?

You likely returned home for your retreat with a toolbox full of resources that you can begin putting into practice in your daily life. So, when the challenges arise after returning to “normal life,” treat them as opportunities to pull out the tools you learned and meet those challenges head-on.

Examine each challenge or difficulty and use those as an opportunity to apply ideas from your retreat to make yourself feel better and strengthen whatever part of your life you feel needs focus.

#3: Find Quiet Times To Reflect on What You’ve Learned

We know life is busy. That might be why you went on a retreat in the first place. It’s all too easy to hop back on the “busy train” and promptly forget the insights you received at the retreat.

Upon your return home, be mindful and purposeful and find time to reflect on what you learned at the retreat. You might need to schedule those times to make sure they happen. Maybe you’ll decide that every morning, before you hit the floor and start your day, you’ll schedule 15 minutes to contemplate something meaningful from your retreat that you want to put into practice.

Or maybe you’ll set some time aside each week to journal about the retreat and how you can apply what you learned to the day-to-day activities you engage in. Here are some things you may want to include in your journaling:

The main insights the retreat showed you
How the retreat experience affected you emotionally, spiritually, or physically
Actions you can take to apply what you learned
How you can keep life simple, with room for regular reflection and self-care

#4: Incorporate One New Thing at a Time

You’ve likely digested A LOT of new information on the retreat, but trying to make too many changes to regular life at once can be overwhelming. Whether it’s one new thing a day, a week, etc., try to slowly incorporate new ideas and practices until they are second nature.

Maybe you’ll:

Meditate each morning
Schedule regular yoga sessions
Take a walk every day
Start getting up earlier
Find ways to surround yourself with like-minded people
Choose some risks to take
And more

The point is to consider those things that were most powerful for you while at the retreat and figure out how to assimilate them into your life — one thing at a time.

And if one thing seems overwhelming, break that one thing down into little bites. For example, let’s say you want to meditate for 30 minutes a day. Meditate for five minutes to start with and build up from there.

#5: Stay Connected

Unless you do some sort of isolation/silent retreat, you’re sure to share your retreat experience with instructors and other participants.

Those relationships don’t need to end when you leave the retreat center. Make a concerted effort to stay connected. Get contact information from those you’ve gotten to know, and make a point to reach out to one another regularly.

These new relationships can be extra special because those people have shared your experiences. They’ll be poised to understand what you’re going through even after you get home in a way that your friends and family can’t.

At Sedona Mago, you can stay in touch with new friends through live and pre-recorded courses. Contact us today to learn about these courses or to schedule your own retreat.

#6: Realize That Those Around You Didn’t Have the Same Experience

Unlike those friends you met at your retreat, your friends and family back home didn’t get to experience what you did. It’s easy to forget that and expect those around you at home to understand what you encountered and learned.

Give your friends and family some grace when they seem to downplay your retreat encounter or the ways you’ve changed since returning home. Let them know you might need a little space and quiet to assimilate.

When you’re ready, use wisdom to share things slowly to help them understand your transformation and the power of your retreat experience. Maybe they’ll want to join you next time.

#7: Try To Purify Your Environment

What if you could imitate the retreat environment in your own home? Though it won’t be exactly like the retreat location, you can make some small changes or participate in certain activities that can help you experience some of what you did at the retreat.

Here are a few things you can try:

Stock your kitchen with food to support healthy eating
Spend more time outdoors
Limit your time on electronics
Plan for times of silence and meditation
Consider periodic fasting

#8: Practice What You’ve Learned

What were the practices or insights you learned at the retreat that were the most impactful?

Was it the time you spent unplugged?
Was it the time spent in meditation?
Was it the experience of being present and seeking inner peace?

Think about the things that were most powerful during the retreat and create a plan where you can continue to practice what you learned and make it a part of your daily routine. Even simply focusing on retreat topics for a few minutes a day can help!

The particular steps you take may depend on the type of retreat you attend. At Sedona Mago, you can implement activities and practices that you learn from our various retreats, including;

Detox retreats
Meditation retreats
Wellness retreats
Healing retreats
And more

Take a look at our retreat offerings, and choose the perfect retreat for your needs.

#9: Don’t Let Setbacks Throw You Off Course

You’re human, and your journey is not going to be perfect. The goal is improvement over time, so look at the big picture. If you feel like you’re failing in some area, go back and revisit what you learned and start again.

#10: Start Planning Your Next Retreat

You might be feeling down because you miss the magical environment of your retreat, so give yourself something to look forward to by planning the next one!

Not sure where to start? Take a look at these Sedona Mago retreat programs. We’re certain you’ll find one that’s right for your next retreat.

Mago Core Programs

Our three Mago Core programs are crafted to unlock your most empowered self — radiating love, confidence, and positive energy. Get ready for a transformational healing journey that will revitalize your spirit and spark profound changes in your life:

Journey Within Programs

Journey Within programs guide you on a deeper healing path, activating free-flowing Qi (chee) and clearing stagnant energy. Practice the essential tools to support your health and well-being.

The Journey Within programs include:

Self Mastery Programs

Experience Sedona Mago’s Self Mastery programs and strengthen your natural healing abilities as you embark on a transformative journey of self-mastery and love. Unlock the limitless power of your mind and deepen your connection with the laws of the universe and nature.

Choose from these two Self Mastery programs:

Nurture Your Mind and Body at Sedona Mago Center for Well-Being and Retreat

Now that you’re equipped with some re-entry tips, there’s no reason you shouldn’t plan your next retreat with expectations of renewal, revitalization, and rejuvenation at Sedona Mago Center for Well-Being and Retreat.

With retreats ranging from two to five nights, you can choose from a variety of programs based on your goals and intentions.

Do you want to rest and relax in the beautiful Sedona surroundings? The R&R retreat is designed for you.
Want to focus on your health while stimulating your mind and soul? The Revitalizing Detox retreat is an excellent choice.

We feel sure one of our retreats will help you find the profound experience you’re looking for. Learn more about our retreat options, our stunning property, and all the Sedona Mago has to offer.

What Should I Do if I Feel Bad After Returning From a Retreat?