PRSD Post Retreat Stress Disorder
Do you know or suffer from post retreat stress disorder? Not sure, if you can answer yes to any of the following, you need to keep reading.
· Do you get home on a Sunday night after retreat and feel the buzz of creativity still running through your veins?
· Do you hyperventilate at the thought of returning back home to hubby and kids?
· Do you know that getting home means a stop to the creative splurges at any moment, only to have to wait ‘til the kids are napping or the dishes are done, or 'til 5pm hits and you can go home from work?
· Do you get home from retreat and want to turn around and drive right back?
It’s the crashing feeling of coming home from retreat that ultimately breaks some creativity inspired moments of scrapbooking and quilting. While some may be able to deal with the stresses of returning back their normal lives with ease, they can be turned bitter by the monotonous and often rigorous life that follows the days in between retreats.
Post Retreat Stress Disorder can affect individuals on varying degrees but overall the feeling is the same. The responsibility of real life comes crashing down like a cartoon inspired bomb after experiencing the good times. Quite often in order to go to retreat, crafters must take mundane jobs in unattractive fields that can afford to see their “employees” go away for weekends at a time. These may include but are not limited to working in a kitchen, laundry room, child’s homework, hard labor, mother duties, wife duties, or (and dare I say it) real jobs in real life positions.
Funny, I know, but the reality is that a lot of you suffer from this little setback. You get on the road after a great weekend of creativity with your girlfriends, sisters, moms, etc and all you can think of is the next page or block, the next card or album, the next quilt configuration, the next creative step. Your car ride home (or in most cases a large vehicle filled to the brim) is spent talking up great ideas with your co-riders. So then what do you do when you get home?
You need to find a support system (husband, friend, sister) that will infuse, encourage and accommodate your retreating lifestyle which is so essential to your personal well-being and rejuvenation regime.
Securing your money situation before heading out will allow you to enjoy retreat and go without the stress of worrying where your next retreat will come from. In the months leading up to retreat, try putting at least some money away each week into a special piggy bank or secret stash area.
Another common cause of PRSD is unreasonable expectations. Do you want to relax and rejuvenate with friends, do you want to finish an entire album or quilt, do you want to get the kids Halloween favors made, do you want to make a card for a dear friend, these are the expectations you need to set out for yourself before you arrive. Know what you want and set the target to be achieved. By knowing what you want to complete and setting yourself up to achieve that will make the weekend and your return home much more pleasant.
It’s very easy to register for a retreat, but even harder to go home. While it’s very true that every retreat must come to an end, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop your experience. Take some of the tips and tricks and great friendships that you’ve made at retreat and capitalize on them. Have some gals over on a Saturday afternoon, or a Tuesday night for a “tips and tricks” night, or a swap or fabric challenge.
No matter what, enjoy your retreat, enjoy the new friendships and better yet, book for your next retreat early so you can enjoy more, more, and more!
Cheers
No comments:
Post a Comment