Holidays vs recharging breaks

I was discussing holidays with a friend who lives with fatigue. 

Average person holidays are often about doing less than you have the capacity for. Going for a walk in the country when you could be doing housework. Using energy on fun and relaxing things rather than essentials. It is time off to relax and regroup - even though you totally could be getting on with your ToDo list at work and home.

With chronic illnesses and disability, rest and recharging is often essential. Without it we crash and burn - our health worsens, capacity reduces, and symptoms escalate. It's not an optional extra, it's a survival need. Then when we have energy, we use it - being constructive/doing things while we have the  opportunity. The rest can look similar to some people's holiday activities - but are actually basic survival needs. 'Holidays' are often used for this essential recharging that average people don't usually need.

And there we hit an issue - resting when essential for pacing actually ends up meaning we are almost constantly operating at maximum capacity - and the refreshment that comes with actual holidays never happens.

So the question for me, as a disabled person with big fatigue issues, do I actually take holidays? Or do I only take essential recharge breaks? 

Because they are not the same thing!

Essential recharge breaks get me back to functioning (at my level). Holidays are there to provide an extra level or refreshment. Holidays give license to use energy for non essentials, use less energy than I have available, and/or do things 'just because'.

So although my holidays will always look different to average people's, and may often be of the staycation variety, I will make sure that I take them. In addition to recharge days. Taking a break from my ToDo list when I could do more and could be working - and instead choose not to. Instead, I'll lie in the garden, or try a new craft, or potter round a garden centre, or socialise with friends.

Or maybe one day I'll take a holiday and try kayaking again...use a huge amount of energy on something I love doing, and be totally unrepentant about it.

And yes, holidays might require a recharging break before (so I can be physically capable of doing things on my holiday) and/or a recharging break after them (so I can recover) - and will almost always be shorter than an average person holiday - for example a weeks break might involve 3 days recharge, 2 days holiday, then 2 days recharge from the holiday, but I think it will be totally worth it.