Starting the bank holiday weekend, I said to my husband ‘ I need a good rest this weekend’. I then proceeded into talking about finishing the painting in the kitchen, baking, a sewing project and having a good clear out. ‘That’s not a rest!’ my husband said.  He had a point, and had it promised to be a lovely sunny weekend, I may have got out some books and magazines and a sun lounger in the garden, maybe a stroll in the park and some nice food.

However, what lay before us was a wet weekend and, having spent most of my week at a computer, I explained that being productive doing something different was as good as a lazy weekend in the sun. I would end the weekend feeling good that I had achieved something that had been nagging at me for some time. There would also be time to fit in a film, some nice food and maybe even a cheeky glass of wine!

So, is a change as good as a rest? Dr Saundra Daulton-Smith believes that rest looks different for everyone, depending on what is burning us out. Her framework gives us seven areas of rest – physical, mental, sensory, emotional, social, creative and spiritual. We all have different things that have overwhelmed us and depending on what that is, will show us how we need to ‘rest’. If painting a kitchen or sewing uses different physical and mental muscles than my day job, then the change can indeed be as good as a rest, even though it looks like work to an outsider.

So, when heading towards your next weekend, ask yourself ‘am I physically tired? Do I have sensory fatigue from sitting at a computer all day or maybe social fatigue, spending too much time being with lots of people.’ Whatever your area of tiredness will determine which area of rest will benefit you most.

Maybe you could write down your plans and write next to each whether it will provide you rest?