As we hurtle into the so called silly season at break neck speed some of you may feel the wheels are about to fall off. On the family front there can be pressure to deliver the perfect day, cook a chef grade ham, get along with your least favourite uncle and balance the household budget. Add to that the current debate about whether the summer break is too long; with claims New Zealand effectively shuts down for the summer and beyond, giving the impression the country is closed for business. Principal Psychologist at Umbrella Wellbeing, Dougal Sutherland spoke to Lisa Owen with some advice.