There’s a part of retreat leadership that almost nobody talks about.

It happens after the closing circle, the hugs, and the heartfelt thank-yous.

After the last suitcase is dragged down the hallway and your final participant heads home.

You close the door, look around, and suddenly realize…

You’re exhausted!

Not necessarily unhappy. Not necessarily burned out. In fact, you may feel deeply grateful, proud, and even a little emotional about what just happened.💝 But you’re also completely spent.

For me, this is the Retreat Leader Hangover. No alcohol required. 😂

It’s that strange mix of physical exhaustion, emotional overload, relief, happiness, mental fog, and sometimes even sadness that can arrive when a retreat ends.

And after leading retreats for many years, I think this is something we need to prepare for just as intentionally as we prepare for the retreat itself.

Because we spend a tremendous amount of energy caring for our participants. But who’s caring for the retreat leader?

You’ve Been “On” for Days

Leading a retreat is very different from teaching a two-hour workshop. You’re not simply showing up, delivering your content, and going home.

You are often “on” from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed.

You’re paying attention to the group energy, making sure everyone knows where they need to be, checking that the meals are working for everyone, watching the participant who seems a little withdrawn, and you’re supporting the person who became emotional during an exercise.

PLUS: You’re answering questions, communicating with the venue, handling unexpected problems, teaching, facilitating experiences, making decisions.

And sometimes quietly fixing things behind the scenes that your participants never even know happened!!

You’re making sure the introvert doesn’t disappear into the wallpaper, and perhaps making sure the extrovert doesn’t accidentally facilitate the entire retreat! 😂 If you know, you know.

Even when everything goes beautifully, that level of presence takes energy.

Which is why it’s perfectly normal to feel depleted once the retreat ends.

The Mistake Retreat Leaders Often Make

Here’s what many retreat leaders do next. They wake up the morning after the retreat, grab their suitcase, head to the airport, fly home… and right away return to normal life.

You know, all those client calls you have to catch up on, emails, family responsibilities, Zoom meetings, laundry, post-retreat accounting, and social media updates.

Maybe even planning the next retreat…

And somewhere around that point, your body says: “Excuse me. We’re not doing this!!“

The problem isn’t that something went wrong. The problem is that you never gave yourself a transition.

We talk a lot about helping our participants integrate their retreat experience. Retreat leaders need integration too.

That means your retreat planning shouldn’t end when the participants leave. Your own recovery needs to be part of the plan.

Stay One Extra Night

This is one of the simplest things you can build into your retreat schedule.

Whenever possible, stay at the destination for an additional night after everyone leaves. I personally LOVE doing this!

I do it just to recover energetically. I take long showers. Eat something delicious. Sit by the pool. Go for a walk. Read a book. Watch something completely mindless. Sleep.

There is something wonderfully grounding about allowing yourself to actually experience the end of the retreat before getting on an airplane and reentering your regular life.

It creates a little space between being the retreat leader and simply being you again.

Protect Your First Day Home

This is another one I strongly recommend. Do not come home Sunday night and schedule six coaching calls for Monday morning.

While your calendar might be saying: Monday: Available.

Your nervous system may be saying: Monday: Pajamas.

Listen to the nervous system. 😂

If possible, block out your first day home before you ever leave for the retreat. No calls, major meetings, complicated decisions, and NO giant list of things you “should” catch up on.

Give yourself permission to move slowly. That one protected day can make an enormous difference.

Don’t Do Every Bit of the Post-Retreat Work Yourself

The retreat may be over, but the work usually isn’t. As I mentioned, there are photos and videos to organize. Receipts to reconcile. Participant questions to answer. Testimonials to retrieve. Follow-up emails about your post-retreat program to send. Perhaps even recordings or resources to distribute. And possibly conversations with your venue or vendors.

This is where systems and delegation become incredibly valuable. Create a simple post-retreat checklist before you leave. Decide what actually needs your attention and what can be handled by someone else.

Your assistant can organize photos.

Your bookkeeper can handle receipts.

Your team can prepare the follow-up email.

Not everything needs to land back on your desk.

And certainly not the second you’re home.

Give Yourself Time to Integrate Too

A retreat changes the leader as well as the participants. We know this.

Sometimes you return home with clarity about your business.

Sometimes you realize something about your teaching.

Sometimes you notice a part of the retreat that didn’t work quite as well as you hoped.

And sometimes you have one of those fabulous downloads where you realize: “YES! THAT’S what I’m supposed to do next.“

Give yourself a little time to reflect. I like asking questions such as:

• What worked beautifully?
• Where did the group come most alive?
• What felt harder than it needed to?
• What would I change next time?
• What did I learn about myself as a leader?

These reflections are incredibly valuable because every retreat you lead teaches you how to become an even stronger retreat leader.

Watch for the Emotional Drop

There can also be an emotional piece to the “Retreat Leader Hangover.”

For several days you’ve been surrounded by people.

There’s been laughter, conversation, connection, vulnerability, and shared experiences. You may have watched friendships form and witnessed beautiful breakthroughs.

And then suddenly… Everyone is gone, and the room is quiet.

Your telephone isn’t buzzing with logistical questions anymore. The experience you spent months creating is finished. There can be a surprisingly tender little emotional drop after that.

That doesn’t mean anything is wrong.

Sometimes it simply means something meaningful just came to an end.

Give yourself space for that too.

And Do Celebrate What You Just Accomplished

Retreat leaders are notoriously good at moving right to the next thing.

The retreat ends, and our brain says: “Okay, what’s next?“

And we forget to acknowledge what we actually accomplished. You created something from nothing. You brought a group of people together. You found the venue. Created the experience. Promoted it. Filled it. Managed the logistics. Held space. Solved problems. Led the group. And gave people an experience they may remember for years.

SERIOUSLY!!!! That deserves a moment.

Read the beautiful messages your participants sent. Look at the photos.

Toast yourself. Have that glass of wine. Take the nap.

Whatever celebration looks like in your mind, make room for it.

Sustainable Retreat Leadership Includes YOU

We talk so much about participant care in the retreat world. And we should.

But sustainable retreat leadership also requires “leader care.”

If every retreat leaves you completely depleted and you push yourself right back into work, eventually something has to give.

The goal isn’t simply to become better at enduring the exhaustion.

The goal is to design your retreat business so there’s room for recovery.

Because you are one of the most important resources your retreat business has. And taking care of yourself after the retreat isn’t indulgent.

It’s part of becoming the kind of retreat leader who can continue doing this work beautifully for many years to come.

Take a moment to share your feelings below – I’d love to know!

xo Sheri

Sheri Rosenthal is the founder and chief retreat strategist at Wanderlust Entrepreneur®, where she's trained and empowered over 25,000 retreat leaders to design, price, promote, and monetize transformational retreats that leave a lasting impact, while traveling the world and earning a profit to be proud of through her signature course, The Retreat Blueprint Program,

She's also the CEO of Journeys of the Spirit®, a boutique agency that has planned and managed over 1000 retreats worldwide since 2003.

With over two decades of experience in the retreat industry, She's had the honor of working with top names, including don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, and guiding coaches and healers to run retreats that change lives.