Relaxing holiday locations to reset your nervous system, from Australia to Canada

As a traveller, you have probably experienced the feeling of coming back from a holiday more exhausted than when you left. The red-eye flights, the rushed connections, the overpacked itineraries, the squeezing in just one more dinner reservation – by the time you arrive at home, your body still thinks it is in survival mode. Your holiday was well intentioned, but your nervous system never got a chance to unwind.

A growing number of retreats and resorts are approaching travel differently. Instead of giving you a busier version of your everyday life in a new location, they are building experiences specifically to help your nervous system calm down via sleep programmes, somatic practices, nature immersion and a slower pace.

Here are seven escapes where your overextended self might finally feel safe enough to rest.

1. New South Wales, Australia

New South Wales is essentially a nervous-system reset in map form.

In the Blue Mountains, the state’s only authentic Japanese onsen is tucked into the hills, its mineral-rich hot pools steaming in cool mountain air. Guests move between indoor and outdoor baths, lingering over tea or the view.

Forest bathing is part of the culture here, not just a trend. Guided forest walks are all about moving slowly, noticing the feel of bark under your hands, the sound of wind through the trees and the way your breathing naturally deepens when your phone stays in your pocket.

In Byron Bay, a five-day Power Within retreat in the hinterland focuses on nervous system regulation with breathwork, bioenergetics, yin yoga and unhurried, nourishing meals.