Wendy Bryant

I'm a retired, disabled occupational therapist who likes to make sense of things through creative action. I retired early because I became seriously ill with ANCA-associated vasculitis, an autoimmune disease. From the 1980s to early 2000s I worked in the NHS and social care, with people of all ages experiencing many challenges. Then I became a researcher, focusing on mental ill-health. At the same time I became a lecturer, educating future occupational therapists. I gained my PhD, edited two editions of a textbook and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. My vasculitis has challenged my belief that being active is always good for health. I had to discover new ways of getting things done, which led to Rest-Do Days. Every day I deliberately switch between resting and doing in my life fatigue, pain and ongoing symptoms. Those things I get done are not just the things I have to do, but satisfying ways of being alive.