Have you ever found yourself saying “yes” to do something and you immediately knew you really didn’t want to do it but felt obliged to accept anyway? We are all primed to say “yes” from a young age: “be polite”, “don’t be rude” and “help those less able” are phrases that have been hammered into children’s heads from a young age.

As adults, we often find ourselves in situations where that choice between “yes” and “no” can become difficult to navigate.

I’m sure you’ll agree that being prepared for emergencies is better than running around like a headless chicken when disaster strikes.

I suggest having an ‘emergency box’ that contains the stuff you would want to grab if you had to leave at speed. That does not need to be a box, any portable container will do (a box, backpack, or a small suitcase) as long as it can hold whatever you have decided is something you need in an emergency (a health crisis, a fire, flood or any other reason you’d have to leave in a hurry).