From Retreat to Routine: Keeping Your Relaxation Alive at Home
You went on a retreat, and now you are back home, relaxed. How do you maintain the zen through your everyday life now? Once you are back to the hustle and bustle of your life outside of the retreat, it can be hard to keep yourself in the state of relaxation that you reached during the wellness retreat. My name is Bri, I am the Wellness Operations Assistant here at Project Passport, and I am here to help you maintain that zen even after things get hectic again!
Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash
The first important objective in maintaining your zen is acknowledging the “post-retreat glow”, where you are at the height of your relaxation and have a profound sense of peace. Acknowledging this glow and understanding that you are now back in your everyday life helps you better understand how important it is to make this peace and relaxation stick with you even as you go back into your normal routine. This is the first step in maintaining the retreat zen and continuing your wellness journey even once you are finished with the retreat.
Next, it is important to build your own wellness retreat routine once you are back into the stress of everyday life. These can be very small self-care activities throughout the day or even on weekends. Some ideas of self-care wellness activities that you can sprinkle in throughout your daily schedule can include:
Have a morning ritual that includes yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, or stretching to follow the routines and rituals practiced at the wellness retreat.
Journaling, specifically gratitude journaling, where you reflect on the positive aspects of your life and your routine, highlighting the things in life that you are grateful for.
Practicing mindful eating habits learned at the retreat, with taking time away from screens while eating and also focusing on the flavors and textures you are experiencing instead of focusing on distractions.
Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash
It is also important to create safe and positive spaces for yourself to practice mindfulness and return to your retreat relaxation when your daily life becomes stressful or anxiety-inducing. Creating a “home sanctuary” can help you put yourself in an environment specifically crafted for relaxation and zen - this can look like a comfy corner with candles and plants or even a room dedicated to relaxation and calmness. If there is no space for a home sanctuary, use nature to your advantage. Going to sit in a garden, walking along a trail, or even just spending some time on the porch can better help you connect with nature and bring your “home sanctuary” outdoors.
While retreats are very relaxing and help you connect your mind, body, and soul, it is very important to ensure that we are still practicing relaxation techniques and mindfulness even after returning home. If you are interested in practicing relaxation techniques and de-stressing, make sure to check out our upcoming retreat here, set in July of 2025 to Negril, Jamaica. I hope that some of you can implement these techniques into your everyday life, even if you haven’t recently attended a retreat. I hope you all have a great rest of your month and happy beginning of fall to everyone!