UNTOLD: What is opal fever?
Article Nature and wildlife Content
UNTOLD: Who found wellness in the midst of chaos?
20 MAY 2024
In 2018, Jenny was half a world away when she got a call to say her sister had been declared missing. Walking away from a high-flying international career, Jenny embarked on a mission of discovery. For her sister, for herself – and her purpose. It was this voyage into the chaos of life that saw her discover the true purpose of wellness – a buzz word reproduced so many times it's at risk of having no meaning.
The Oxford English dictionary defines wellness as “well-being, prosperity; the state or condition of being healthy or well; (also) spiritual well-being.” These days, you’ll find the term plastered everywhere you look – used to promote everything from organic vegetables to cosmetic products. The term is increasingly popping up on Instagram feeds and television ads, promising viewers the chance at a life free from pain, sickness or sorrow. This intangible concept of ‘wellness’ shimmers like a mirage on the horizon, constantly pursued by young and old alike, but so rarely achieved. After all, how can one grab hold of something as flimsy and ever-changing as wellness?
Jenny O’Brien is no stranger to the chase – at 50 years old, the mum and business owner has spent most of her life searching; for the dream job, the perfect apartment, the ultimate overseas trip – that elusive combination of material objects and experiences that we are told creates a whole and perfect life.
But isn’t there a saying that life happens while we are busy making other plans? While she tried to build a picture-perfect one, Jenny’s life has been interwoven with the chaos of love, loss and grief that ultimately set her on an unexpected path. Like her sister’s missing person’s report, a generational cycle of addiction and the vast responsibility of becoming a mother overnight. But it took living through these experiences for Jenny to understand what wellness is and how it can act as an anchor through the storm of life. Jenny now dedicates her life to this seemingly intangible concept – demystifying the term by sharing her story and philosophy with others.
Meet Jenny O'Brien.
Who is Jenny O'Brien?
To look at her, you would never know that Jenny has faced more than her fair share of tests. With shiny blonde hair, exacting brown eyes and a quick smile, Jenny appears the very picture of good health as she strides through Kaiserstuhl National Reserve, journal in hand. But as she comes closer, it becomes clear that Jenny has more than just the physical appearance of ‘being well’ – she is serene, lit from within by a quiet but constant strength that shines through in her laugh, in her open gaze and in the straight line of her spine. Over the years, Jenny has learnt that inner strength is not something that magically develops – it is hard-won, a constant game of give and take; it comes from daily decisions to feed her mind, body and spirit.
Jenny meditating.
“I’m a really strong believer that we go through different seasons in our life. You have to give yourself some grace to figure out what works for you,” she says. For Jenny, having a morning routine that covers off her physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing sets her up for a productive day. “I will go and meditate and journal, practice gratitude. And from there, I will study or read, move my body, start work. And that’s my morning routine.” If it sounds like a lot of effort to expend before the sun is up, that’s because it is; “I will be standing by the kettle and these things will run through my head, like ‘I don’t need to do it today’ or ‘I don’t really have time.’ But it’s about mind over matter, doing something to overcome the chatter in my head."
Jenny says wellness is often mind over matter.
"And when I do it consistently,” which she acknowledges, laughing, is not always the case, “I am nicer, I am a better mum, a better friend and daughter, I show up better in my business.”
For Jenny, that’s what wellness comes down to; it is not about social media clout or the latest buzzword – no, for Jenny, it is as simple as wanting to become a little bit kinder to her daughter each day. This uncomplicated approach to health and wellbeing pervades all that Jenny does – but her wisdom and serenity was born from a period of extreme difficulty.
It was having a huge impact on my family, and then she was reported missing. Jenny O'Brien
Jenny's journey to wellness
“My sister was living on the streets, and had been for a while.” It’s a jarring revelation from Jenny, and an unconventional beginning to what would become her greatest passion. Having grown up in the small coastal mining town of Port Pirie, Jenny spent her 20s, 30s and early 40s travelling the world and climbing the corporate ladder in search of a fulfilling career.
But while Jenny was jumping from promotion to promotion, racking up the frequent flyer miles in the process, her sister was struggling with addiction and homelessness. While they started in the same home, their paths had never been further apart; “she went from married with a family, to losing everything,” Jenny shares. “It was having a huge impact on my family, and then she was reported missing.”
Living in Vietnam at the time, Jenny was mentally and emotionally drained and becoming increasingly worried about her family, and the safety of her sister Louise [name changed for privacy]. “I made the decision to quit [my job] and come back to the Barossa Valley, where my parents were, [to] try [and] find my sister and support her through recovery.” At the time, Louise was responsive to help from Jenny and their family, entering a rehabilitation program. Things were looking up, right? Jenny could get her life ‘back on track’? She just couldn’t shake the nagging feeling, however, that – despite finding her sister – there was still something out there she had yet to discover.
Jenny at Kaiserstuhl Conservation Reserve.
“I was at a crossroads, I wasn’t sure what to do next,” she admits. “Do I go back to Melbourne? My apartment was there, my friends, my life. Or do I stay with my family in the Barossa?”
Needing to focus inwards, Jenny booked an eight-day retreat in Bali, where her business, Beyond Wellness, was born. “Whenever I’m at a crossroads, I like to map things out, write and sketch to think through my thoughts,” Jenny explains. “[By doing this] Beyond Wellness came to life – I realised that what helped me in the lows and times of burnout was meditation, journaling, sleeping, nourishing my body, connection with friends. So that’s what Beyond Wellness was premised on.” Returning to the Barossa reinvigorated, she was ready to throw herself into her new business venture. But life happened despite her well-intentioned plans and Jenny returned to her greatest crossroad ever – becoming a mother.
If you had asked me six years ago, would I be a mum? Let alone a single mum? The answer would be no, not at all. Jenny O'Brien
Jenny never expected to become a mother.
Becoming a mother overnight
“If you had asked me six years ago, would I be a mum? Let alone a single mum? The answer would be no, not at all,” Jenny starts.
So how is she now the mother to her beautiful, four-year-old daughter Hannah [name changed for privacy]? You could call it a sliding door moment – a phenomenon Jenny wholeheartedly believes in. A moment when time slows down, and you are presented with two paths to choose from. Do you continue on your known and stable route? Or, do you throw stability to the wind and chart a new trajectory into the future, knowing that things will never be able to return to how they were?
There’s been no greater sliding doors moment in Jenny’s life than the evening Jenny was told, that at just nine-weeks-old, her great-niece was at risk of being removed from the family. Jenny’s choice would change the trajectory of her life, as well as Hannah’s future. “I felt super comfortable not having kids, and it took me a while to become ok with that,” Jenny reflects.
“[But] I knew that my parents [Hannah’s great-grandparents] would never allow her to go into care, and I would never allow them to take on the responsibility of a newborn in their 70s. So for me, in that very minute, the decision was made – my great niece would come and live with me.”
“[But] I knew that my parents [Hannah’s great-grandparents] would never allow her to go into care, and I would never allow them to take on the responsibility of a newborn in their 70s. So for me, in that very minute, the decision was made – my great niece would come and live with me.”
For many women, motherhood is a decision that takes years to reach, and even then, parents generally have nine months to prepare for life with their newborn. Jenny had 24 hours. “I remember calling my friend, bawling my eyes out, going ‘what have I done?’” Indeed, anyone with less tenacity or bravery would baulk at the idea of uprooting everything they had known, to take on the care of a child. Let alone solo. But while her journey to motherhood has been unconventional, Jenny's experience raising a toddler is a universal one; “the last four years have been some of the toughest and some of the most rewarding,” she says. "I’ve been stretched in ways I could not even imagine.”
But as challenging as motherhood has been, Jenny wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Hannah came into my life for a reason. I’m here with her now, and she has, no question, given me purpose. She [Hannah] is an extraordinary little human. I can’t imagine my life without her.”
I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Hannah came into my life for a reason. I’m here with her now, and she has, no question, given me purpose. She [Hannah] is an extraordinary little human. I can’t imagine my life without her.”
I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Jenny O'Brien
Jenny in the Barossa Valley.
The extraordinary in the ordinary
It’s easy to be in awe of Jenny – despite all of these moments of upheaval, she has a steadiness about her. It is as if she is tethered to the ground underfoot. She speaks about the immense responsibility she has shouldered – the responsibility to care for and raise her great-niece as if it’s no act of heroism – but rather something anyone in her position would do. The truth of the matter, of course, is that Jenny's actions were not ordinary. Rather, she is quietly extraordinary. Jenny has turned these challenges into fuel for her business, that aims to foster a safe space to help others to live a better life; “If I can help one person or one family find peace and balance in their life, to not go through what our family had been through, it would one hundred percent be worth it.”
Meet Jenny for yourself
Beyond Wellness is Jenny’s way of giving back to the community and creating a space where individuals can reconnect and recentre, even if it’s just for an hour or two. Jenny knows better than most that life is not linear – in the space of 24 hours, the trajectory of your life can be changed forever – but she also believes that wellness is made in the tiny moments of everyday life. “Wellness is distinct and personal, it changes with life’s seasons,” she says. "But there are really simple things in life that you can do that don’t cost a lot of money, that can help keep you centred.”
Jenny’s life has been shaped by obstacles that she never could have imagined facing – which is why she has created a business that promotes health and wellbeing holistically, looking beyond the conventional and meeting people wherever they are on their path to wellbeing. “I am all about community and connection and I place a strong emphasis on understanding that everyone’s wellness journey is unique," she adds. "I think if people are given the opportunity to connect back to themselves, it has a flow on effect.” Meet Jenny and discover her wellness philosophy by booking a retreat, sunrise walk or wellness experience at Beyond Wellness.
