Ahh…
And yet, you feel fried, frustrated and fatigued . . .
Yes, you read that right.
Oh no!
Truth be told, retreat fatigue is a real thing. And, if you don’t watch out for it, it can slap you in the face when you least expect it.
When you’re facilitating a retreat, it’s very easy to slack on YOUR self-care, push yourself too much, and run yourself right into the ground.
With so many people counting on you and so much on your plate, you can easily feel maxed out . . . fast!
Before you know it, you may start to feel snarky, stressed out, and stretched super thin . . .
Say it ain’t so!
The good news is … feeling this way is totally optional! You can lead a retreat AND feel cared for at the same time. Here’s how:
1- Have a trusted assistant!
Don’t try to do it alone. No no no. Even if you’re just starting out, enlist a friend or family member to help you at your retreat. Holding space for people while they are going through their process is a huge responsibility. It’s way too much to ask of yourself to also oversee juggling all of the logistics. So don’t do it! Delegate those tasks to your helper and relinquish control! And, when you’re pricing your retreat, make sure to include the costs of a helper so his or her overhead is covered. Yes!
2- Carve out daily YOU time!
When you’re putting together the daily schedule for your retreat, make sure you add in at least one chunk of down time for you to be with nobody but yourself. This is critical! Our bodies, minds and spirits need to recharge . . . and the best way to recharge is to rest. A wonderful way to do this is to give your people the afternoon off each day.
During this time, separate off from the group and rejuvenate yourself (even if you don’t feel like you need it). When you’re leading a retreat, you must pace yourself (or else, you’re likely to crash and burn). Your people are counting on you to be present and engaged the entire time, so make sure to un-engage when you can to fill up your tank.
3- Clean off your energy field!
Being around a lot of people – including your clients – can be amazing. But, it can also be a big ‘ole energy drain. People’s emotions, trials and tribulations weigh on you whether you feel it or not. Smart and savvy retreat leaders take care of themselves by cleaning up their energy field and shedding anything they’ve picked up from their people.
Great ways to do this include the following: lighting sage and saying a cleansing prayer, sitting in front of a fire and looking into it as you focus on letting go of the day, and dipping in the ocean as you picture yourself shedding any emotional clutter. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you take care of you.
The next time you’re planning a retreat, do yourself a huge favor and key these tips in mind.
You’ll be so glad you did!
Want to learn some great tips for creating and selling out your next retreat?
Whether this is your very first retreat or you’ve been running them for years – we’ve got a couple of awesome free trainings for you to help you design the most amazing retreat, as well as pricing it to make a profit, getting it sold out, learning retreat legalities, monetizing your retreats and so much more!! If you are interested, simply click below and you will go to our free training page where you can choose whichever training resonates best with you.
To your wanderlust life,
Melanie Scott, Retreat Blueprint Coach @ Retreat Blueprint Program
As a self-proclaimed retreat-junkie, Melanie knows firsthand the power and transformation of traveling with a group of like-minded people who are ready to dive deep into themselves. It’s pure magic! Melanie has planned, co-facilitated and attended dozens of retreats all over the world and is beyond excited to help other retreat enthusiasts do the same.
As a Retreat Blueprint Business Coach & Copywriter, Melanie specializes in helping retreat peeps crank up their businesses & add sparkle to their offerings so they shine to the cosmos and back. If you’re looking to add retreats to your business, attract more people to your retreats or polish up your content, reach out to her at melanie@wanderlustentrepreneur.com.
