You know that feeling when life is coming at you from all directions, and suddenly, the smallest thing sends you into a full emotional spiral? That was me, on what should have been a simple last week before I took some long leave from my former job. Instead of just doing handover and wrapping up projects, it turned into the time I (accidentally) stole a chair from work.

The Crime Scene

After 11 years of working in the same office, I was about to take seven months of leave. I needed to pack up my desk and get ready to step away for this much-needed break. My brain was fried after weeks, months, years of stress, a heavy workload, difficult staffing issues, and never-ending deadlines (not to mention a chronic illness or two).

It was Saturday and I just needed to get my things to the car. But, of course, could I find a trolley? Absolutely not.

So, in a stroke of what I thought was genius, I borrowed an office chair. It had wheels. It could do the job. Problem solved!

Then, the skies opened up, and rain came pouring down. Without thinking, I threw the chair into the back of my car, figuring I’d deal with it later.

Monday Morning Mayhem

Fast forward to Monday, when I returned to work. I walked in, blissfully unaware, only to hear murmurs of concern.

“Where did my chair go?”
“It was right here on Friday…”

It took four hours for my foggy, exhausted brain to connect the dots. The chair—the one everyone was searching for—was still sitting in the back of my car. Cue the full-body cringe.

And then came the tears.

Sure, I felt guilty as hell, but really, my emotional breakdown wasn’t about the chair. It was about everything else that had been piling up. I was sick, stressed, and spread too thin. What should have been an easy “oops” moment turned into the breaking point of an overwhelming few weeks.

So, What Does This Have to Do with Books?

Books, much like life, can be overwhelming. Ever stared at your TBR pile and felt a little like you were drowning? Ever had a book hangover so bad you couldn’t pick up another story for weeks? Perhaps you've got five ARCs waiting for reviews, but you can barely find time to make dinner. Or, maybe like me, you’re stuck under the weight of expectations—whether it’s deadlines, to-do lists, or even just the pressure to be productive.

Reading can’t always factor into life when your laundry pile is staring at you mockingly!

But here’s the thing: reading should never feel like another item on your to-do list.

Yes, books can be an escape, a joy, a source of comfort—but the moment it starts to feel like work, it loses its magic. Sometimes, we need to slow down. Step back. Breathe.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s your reminder: take a break. Pick up a book that feels like a warm hug, or if even that feels like too much, let yourself off the hook. Watch a movie. Scroll mindlessly on social media. Do something that brings you joy without adding pressure.

Reading should be about pleasure, not obligation.

And if you ever use an office chair as a makeshift moving cart—just, you know, remember to return it.

(For those concerned, the chair was returned the next day, and my life of crime was officially over!)