A Psychologist’s Guide to Relaxing in Day to Day Life

Living on the Sunshine Coast, it’s easy to forget you’re already in one of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations. But somehow, between the school runs, the packed schedules and the back-to-back commitments, even paradise can start to feel like Groundhog Day.

Laura Scherman, Clinical Psychologist at Full Life Psychology in Maroochydore, joined Salt 106.5’s The Morning Wake-up with Nato to share five practical tips for carrying that holiday feeling into everyday life – no flight required.

1. Be Intentional About What Restored You

The first step, Laura says, is identifying what actually made your holiday restorative, and finding ways to bring more of that into your week.

“What were the aspects of those holidays that really resonated with us or made us feel good or boosted our mental health or physical health?” Laura said.

“Try to incorporate that a little bit more into your normal daily routine.”

It might be more time outdoors, more connection with others, or simply more laughter. The key is being deliberate rather than waiting for rest to happen on its own.

2. Keep Things Novel

One of the reasons holidays feel so good is that they’re full of new experiences. Laura suggests bringing that same sense of novelty into the everyday, and for Sunshine Coast locals, the opportunities are closer than you might think.

“We live on the ultimate holiday destination and we forget that,” Laura said.

“It’s very stimulating for your brain, and it just really refreshes your brain to have these new novel experiences in your week to break things up and take it off autopilot.”

Her practical suggestion? Plan one new thing a week. Grab a coffee from a café you’ve never tried, explore the hinterland, head up to the North Shore, or simply cross the bridge for once. It doesn’t need to be expensive or far from home, just different enough to shake up the routine.

3. Book Something to Look Forward To

Anticipation, Laura says, is powerful and often more restorative than people realise.

“I always joke that I think I’m a better therapist the week before I go on holidays,” Laura said.

“I’ve got a spring in my step, there’s so much hope and I’m just already refreshed just thinking about going.”

Scheduling something ahead of time, even something small, gives the mind something positive to dwell on, which has real physiological benefits.

“Rather than dwelling on the day-to-day grind and stressful things, we actually focus on something that is good and positive and we’re looking forward to, and it releases all those nice hormones and vibes in our bodies,” Laura said.

4. Slow the Pace

Returning to a packed schedule is one of the fastest ways to lose that holiday feeling. Laura encourages keeping time buffers in the week rather than scheduling everything back-to-back – what she affectionately calls a bit of ‘Fiji time’.

“It’s so easy to say yes to everything, to book all your things back to back, to have no buffer in your week,” Laura said.

For tired parents especially, she suggests a practical swap: one partner takes the kids for a few hours while the other has nothing planned, then swap over. Simple, free, and restorative. And if the kids are antsy? Head to the nearest park and literally stop to smell the roses.

5. Prioritise Sleep

Finally, Laura says sleep is the foundation of everything and one of the most undervalued tools for rest.

“We tend to sleep more on holidays or have more of that time or that opportunity to kind of power down,” Laura said.

“You can’t come back from a holiday and stop putting fuel in your car and expect the car to keep running.”

If sleep is a struggle, she suggests creating an environment that sets you up well. A quiet space, a reasonable bedtime, and strategies to wind the mind down before bed.

Above all, Laura’s advice is to approach these tips with grace rather than pressure.

“These are just ideas. They’re not mandatory… and these are just things to think about and be intentional about if you would like.”

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

Feature image: Canva Pro