When you feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to do, take a break. If the reels are making you feel inferior, take a break. If the road is blurring and the car lights are blinding you, take a break.

I was sitting in my dog’s favourite chair (used to be my chair) this afternoon. It has the best view of the street and, as I sadly discovered today, the best view of the chipped window frame, the overloaded clothes horse and the overgrown garden. That, naturally, was when the idea of taking a break came to me!

Telling people close to me to have a rest is one of my most common traits! Maybe it’s because tiredness is the one thing I can easily relate to. I set out determined to do something and often give up half way. Yesterday I wanted to make the chilli for dinner. I got out all the ingredients, tipped the meat into a saucepan and then gave up. My wonderful husband finished it all.

I hate leaving things unfinished but perhaps I have to learn to trust someone else to finish it for me. Taking a break sometimes means letting go, no matter how much it hurts your pride. Here’s what you need to do: enjoy watching other people do the work you couldn’t do. You never know, there might come a time when you have the strength to complete the job for them! Don’t let letting someone finish tasks for you make you sad. Let it make you happy.

Think about what you could do instead: read a book, write a book, watch a TV programme or just look out the window, not at the things you can’t do, but at life: the birds flying overhead, the clouds changing shape, the cars roaring past, the trees waving in the wind.

The world is burning, fighting and suffering, but out your window, it can astound you with its beauty. Let that make you stop and wonder. Take a break from hard times and be blessed.