You Wrote the Code. Now Unplug: Retreats for Black Women in Tech
You are the only Black woman on your engineering team. Or in your product org. Or in your entire company. You code-switch between Slack channels and conference rooms. You explain microaggressions to HR in language they can accept. You mentor every new Black hire because no one else will. And then you go home and the notifications keep coming.
Tech burnout is real. But tech burnout as a Black woman is something else entirely. It is the burnout of constant performance — proving you belong in rooms that were not designed for you — layered on top of the regular demands of shipping code, hitting deadlines, and navigating office politics.
Why Tech Workers Need Retreat, Not Vacation
A vacation in tech often means working from a different location. A retreat means truly stepping away — from screens, from Slack, from the constant pressure to be available. It means remembering that you are a whole person, not a resource to be allocated.
What to Look for in Your Retreat
- Limited connectivity — A place where spotty WiFi is a feature, not a bug
- Analog activities — Cooking, art, hiking, swimming — things that use your hands, not your keyboard
- Community of women — Not a networking event. Real human connection without LinkedIn profiles
- Physical movement — Your body has been at a desk for years. It needs to remember how to move
- No pitch decks — A space where your value is not measured in OKRs or sprint velocity
"I did not realize how much of my identity was wrapped up in being 'the Black woman in tech' until I was at a retreat where no one cared what I did for a living. They just wanted to know who I was." — Software engineer, retreat guest
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I have to give up my phone completely?
Most retreats create environments that make it easy to disconnect without requiring it. The goal is to break the compulsive checking habit, not punish you.
Are there retreats specifically for women in tech?
Some exist, but many Black women in tech find mixed-profession retreats more restorative because they allow you to exist outside of your tech identity.