How to reply to 'How was your rest'

When someone asks 'how was your rest,' they're checking in after you've been unavailable or quiet. Maybe you mentioned being tired, or you just haven't texted in a few hours. This isn't a test. They're doing two things at once: showing they noticed your absence and giving you a soft landing to reengage. The subtext is 'I'm still here and thinking about our conversation.' It's low-stakes because they're not asking anything demanding. They're basically saying 'your turn to carry this forward.' If they're texting this, they want to keep talking to you. That's the whole message.

First, you have to give them real information. Tell them how you actually feel right now: rested, tired, groggy, better than before. Don't pretend. A lie or a dodge makes them wonder if you're interested. Keep it to one sentence. The second job is to redirect the focus back to them or to something that happened between you. Add one detail about what you're doing now, ask them a question about their day, or reference something from your last conversation. This gives them material to respond to instead of leaving them hanging. Without this second move, they have to work too hard to keep it going and might stop trying.

Send your reply within a few hours of their message. Waiting days makes it awkward. If you're actually resting, you can reply when you wake up without overthinking the delay. After you send your reply, give them time to respond. Most people reply within 24 hours if they're interested. If they don't reply at all, don't follow up immediately. Wait two or three days, then try once more with something that requires a response. If they ignore that second attempt, stop. They've shown you their answer. Pushing harder after someone doesn't engage twice just makes you look desperate and wastes your time.