By Bella Brennan
No matter where you are in your parenting journey, there’s one thing we all have in common. We’re all exhausted, running on fumes and desperately needing some child-free downtime to recharge our weary old batteries. And yet, the cliché of an overtired mum magically solving all her problems with a quick bath and some fancy salts during her baby’s nap time? Yeah, that can get in the bin.
As a fellow exhausted mum, let me just say:
A) I don’t even have a bath, let alone bath salts for said bath (unless squeezing into the laundry sink counts). No offence to Meghan Markle and her effortlessly chic bath salt recipes, but for us normie mums, self-care looks more like stealing two minutes to sip lukewarm coffee between the 21 other spinning plates of life.
B) Even if I did, it wouldn’t cut it. Telling a tired mum to take a bath is about as helpful as saying, “Just sleep when the baby sleeps!”
What we really need are effective ways to rest and genuinely feel refreshed. Blocks of time in the family calendar should be blacked out to signify that this is mummy’s time and mummy’s time only. This is why wellness retreats are the ultimate solution for zonked parents.
I’m always telling my friends to find their ‘thing’ and carve out some well-deserved time away from parenting. Especially when their significant other has no qualms about booking a golf trip or jetting off for a boys’ weekend.
A wellness retreat is basically the AFL Grand Final getaway—except instead of coming home with a sore head and disappointment your team lost, you’ll be floating on cloud nine, armed with brand-new breathwork techniques to keep you grounded when the kids are driving you up the wall.
Whether you’re craving solitude in the rainforest, a luxurious spa experience, or a transformative Pilates escape, these are the best wellness retreats in Australia to reset your mind and body. No bath salts needed!
