ALLOW me to get this out of the way at the beginning: it took me a while to find a topic for this month’s column.

That’s not because nothing has irked or annoyed me, or because there’s nothing much happening in the world, but because it sometimes seems like there’s just too much going on to take note.

In the month since my last column, the world has seen a tragedy in Tunisia, the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, the first Tory budget in nearly two decades, ongoing concern about the Greek financial situation, and countless events on both local and international stages.

More positively, America finally legalised same-sex marriage, Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for daring to wish to learn, turned 18, the England women’s football team showed the boys how it should be done, and I’m told sports fans have also enjoyed some cricket and tennis.

By trying to keep up to date with current events, it’s easy to get bogged down with information overload to the point where you just want to sit in a dark room for five minutes without worrying about which members of society are about to be screwed over by the Government this week. (Hint: it’s probably the same ones that always are).

In between checking newsfeeds and soaking up the information needed to make it though the day, I was tidying the spare room, and packing away an inflatable airbed, when I noticed the following three-line message printed on the canvas: “On initial use this airbed will deflate slightly due to temperature and pressure changes.”

“Simply re-inflate product.”

“This is not a fault.”

I’ll grant you, it’s not a phenomenal piece of writing (and I know a thing or two about writing that’s far from phenomenal – saved you the effort there, comments section. You’re welcome!), but the simplicity of the last line struck me as something we could all do with remembering when we feel deflated or let down.

To me, those five words are more reassuring than the Keep Calm And Carry On posters which have been visible everywhere for the last few years. They speak less of grit and determination than of the attitude that by accepting things won’t always be how you want them to be, you’re able to move on.

Sometimes, life is going to deal you a bad hand. You or someone you love might fall ill, you may get an unexpected bill, stub your toe, have your car clipped by another driver, and you may feel angry or upset, and you want to lash out at the universe for putting you in this position.

This is not a fault. It’s a perfectly sane reaction to life, and once you acknowledge that, it’s easier to get past it.

You might be unable to wrap your head around exactly what the failure of the economy of a country that gave the world democracy, philosophy and kebabs actually means to you and your insignificant little existence.

This is not a fault. Of the seven billion people on Earth, there are only probably a couple of thousand who fully understand what this means and how it will affect the world, and most of them are probably German financiers.

You might prefer a couple of episodes of an easy sitcom to the latest gritty Scandi-noir drama, or ignore the latest album by some hot young up-and-comer in favour of listening to Hunky Dory or Rumours for the thousandth time.

This is not a fault. Sometimes it is just better to go with something comfortable to help you relax or switch off, and providing you’re not ruling out new experiences completely, go for it - it’ll make you feel better.

It’s a cliché to say life is a rollercoaster, but a cliché wouldn’t be a cliché if it didn’t happen often enough to be noticed.

Sometimes you’re grinding away for what seems like hours, trudging slowly uphill to some distant point where you’re promised things will finally get better.

Once you get to that point, things get really fun, really quickly, and the world flies by in a blur.

Sometimes you’re enjoying yourself so much you don’t really realise until the ride has stopped and you’re back to the grind. There’s no harm in taking time out from the fight every now and then to shut out the world and enjoy a few minutes of peace.

The first step is admitting that this is not a fault, it’s a coping mechanism.