The Wellness Industry Forgot About Joy

I get asked all the time whether Lido is a wellness retreat

not really……

I don't think women my age need another four days being told how to become a better version of themselves.

Another morning ritual.

Another supplement.

Another expert explaining why we're tired, overwhelmed or not quite optimised enough.

We're already carrying enough.

Somewhere along the way, wellness became another job.

Track your sleep.
Count your steps.
Lower your cortisol.
Take your magnesium.
Drink more water.
Journal every morning.
Meditate for twenty minutes.
Cold plunge.
Repeat.

I'm sure many of these things are beneficial.

But I also think we've forgotten something beautifully simple.

Sometimes wellness looks like sleeping with the windows open and hearing the sea.

It looks like swimming before breakfast because the water is irresistible, not because your watch tells you to.

It looks like wandering through a market without buying anything.

Ordering dessert.

Taking an afternoon nap.

Sitting with women you've only just met and talking until the restaurant is putting chairs away.

It looks like not checking your phone for three hours because you've forgotten where you left it.

I don't believe most women need fixing.

I think many of us simply need space.

Space to think.

Space to rest.

Space to remember who we are when we're not managing everyone else's calendar.

That's what I mean when I talk about Lido Wellness.

Not optimisation.

Not performance.

Not becoming someone new.

Just creating enough room to come back to yourself.

And perhaps that's the healthiest thing we can do.