My father had a horrifying accident while out bike riding with me and my mother on the weekend. The gruesome wound on his leg is etched into my memory. As is the reminder to be more willing to ask for help.

When we finally saw a car approach on the rural gravel road, I only stopped them because I had no idea where we were. No address to give the ambulance dispatchers. No internet to find the address myself. But I didn’t actually ask for help.

While I love to help others, I’ve generally not been very good at asking for help. I thought I was making some progress in this area, having asked for and received some amazing help over the last few months to overcome some physical health issues I’ve been experiencing. But interesting that in an emergency, my instinct still wasn’t to ask for help.

Luckily for my dad, these people didn’t wait for an invite. A cardiologist and ex-nurse, they sprang into action. Since the ambulance was delayed and couldn’t provide an ETA, they arranged for their daughter to bring a dressing to help with the bleeding. She was a 5th-year med student and her boyfriend was the son of the nurse at the rural A&E. He rung his mum, who advised us to come straight to them since they had capacity and the nearest hospital was quite some distance away. The cardiologist took us there, while his wife waited the hour it took my husband to reach them and collect my mum and our bikes. My father was resting at home by late afternoon, having received amazing care and about 20 expertly done stitches.

Imagine if we’d let the car pass us by.

In the west, I feel like we often idolise self-reliance, or associate asking for help with weakness. On the contrary, I think it shows enormous strength, and I’m genuinely impressed each and every time someone contacts me for help. I think it’s just recognition that none of us possess every conceivable skill or every relevant bit of relevant knowledge; and that it’s hard to look at our own situation objectively and from other angles without help. What is incredible too is how many people are willing and well-placed to help, if only we’d let them.

So my intention this year is to practice asking for help – and not waiting until I absolutely need it. And if some of what I’ve written has resonated with you, perhaps you’d like to join me in practicing asking for help too.