Some years ago one of my coaches, Belinda Merry, gave me formula to use to plan for proper, energising, restorative breaks through the year. The formula is elegantly simple: in month one, diary three separate days off, each day attached to three different weekends, so you get a three day break; do the same for months two and three and in month four, take one whole week off. Then repeat the whole cycle again, from the beginning. I haven't yet put the whole cycle into effect over a full year but have managed parts of it some years and it does make a difference.