A change is as good as a rest is a proverb that expresses, in a fairly straightforward literal way, the notion that a change from one’s regular occupation is as restorative as a holiday.

‘A change is as good as a rest’ is a product of the the Victorian era. Many proverbs from that time encourage the strengthening of moral fibre, effort and industry. This one is harder to understand the motive for as it is more of an observation than an exhortation.

The idea expressed in the proverb is first found in the Christian Gleaner and Domestic Magazine, 1825:

Change of work is as good as play