As it stands right now, many Nigerians like myself are already going through a lot of things that seize their peace of mind and rub them off the time to rest. It is so disheartening and this can be attached to the collapsing economy of the nation.

With the country’s unstable economy, it’s no surprise that some Nigerian citizens have to work several hours to cater for themselves and their families. Also, the country’s insecurity can lead to a lack of peace of mind which often leads to an increase of stress and to unload this stress, it’s important to engage in self-care activities that you find interesting. As the saying goes, all work without play makes Jack a dull boy. This implies that after working for several hours, you should set a leisure time to engage in activities you find interesting.

I and other Nigerian citizens can’t deny the fact that things are not the way they used to be, the country’s economy has made a huge impact on the price of things, and trust me the impact made is not positive. Feeding and catering for one’s family is no longer easy and with this thought lingering in one’s mind, it leads to stress and stress leads to restlessness. However, we care about your well-being and that’s why my team and I have written this content purposely to enlighten you more about the self-care activities you can do to reduce stress in Nigeria. Seat back and enjoy the ride.

Things you can do to reduce stress are sleeping, exercising, going out with friends and families, watching TV shows and sports, eating healthy foods, and many other things. In short, you need to do stuff that calms your nerves and makes you happy. Now let’s delve to the heart of this content where we will be giving you a list of stress reduction tips.

Things are not the same way they used to be some years back. People now have to work more only to earn just a little penny. The economy is not friendly so is the cost of goods in the market. While all of these are in play, the mind of a Nigerian man is never at rest.

However, do you know that there are some self-care ideas to help you reduce stress in a fast-paced country like Nigeria? If No, then you are in the right place. In this article, I will reveal some outstanding tips to help achieve an almost stress-free life in Nigeria.

Self-Care Ideas For Reducing Stress In A Fast-Paced Country Like Nigeria

As stated above, the trick to maintaining a stress-free lifestyle is to do what makes you happy. After spending hours working, you need to create a leisure time to do something you find interesting and stress-free. Below is a list of self-care activities you can do to unwind stress in Nigeria.

That said, let’s get started with business, shall we?

Thoroughly Cleanse Your Space

You don’t need me to tell you how important this is to maintain a nearly stress-free life. Trust me, cleansing your space is one step you necessarily need to take when it comes to minimizing stress. You don’t want to get things messy or mixed up together such that you don’t even know what you need and what you don’t.

Decluttering is a safe practice that involves carefully examining not just your environment but yourself and your circle. Take some time to go through all your possessions, habits, relationships, etc., decide what’s most important to you, and get rid of the rest. You don’t need anything that won’t serve a purpose in your life be it friends, relatives, habits, or even items.

Sometimes, those are what rubs us off our inner peace. Do not hesitate to discard whatever you do not need or does not serve a tangible purpose in your life. By doing so, you not only protect your personal interests, but also make room for those things, people, and connections that are most important to you.

Listen to Music in Your Spare Time

Listening to music in your spare time can not be over-emphasized when it comes to maintaining a relatively stress-free life. Music itself has the ability to quickly shift our mood, affecting our subconscious mind where pesky negative thoughts feed on our fears and fuel the fires of stress in our physical bodies.

Never underestimate the influence of music in your life – it can bring rays of happiness to your life whenever you feel down; it can remind you of a time in your life or it can take your mind off things that are worrying you. Listening to music is a relatively inexpensive, quick-acting solution that’s almost always available, and it could just save your life.

Jumpstart your day by listening to some feel-good music. Play your favorite songs on your playlist while you are getting ready for work, or college, and it’s sure to get you into a vibe mood. Feel the music as you breathe in and out and you’ll feel all your tension is almost gone. I also do the same and it really worked and I feel more relaxed.

Get Enough Sleep

This is preached by health people almost every other day, but most people don’t think it is that important. One thing you need to know is that sleep is an excellent stress reliever. You may not want to agree with me but a good sleep soothes and heals the body, increases focus, controls mood, and sharpens your reasoning.

Don’t let things get to you to the point that you don’t have the time to sleep. No matter the challenges you go through in life, find time to have some rest. You are a better problem solver and can handle stress when you get enough sleep. However, if you find it hard to sleep all you need is something that can distract you from what is bothering your mind.

Depriving yourself of sleep can cause insomnia and impair your ability to make decisions. This can be severe as it could make you lose focus on things that truly matter to you. Moreover, recent studies show that lack of sleep makes you more emotionally reactive, impulsive, and sensitive to unpleasant emotions.

Eat Balanced Diet

We can’t pretend or ignore the fact that food contributes a lot to our lives. Aside from providing our bodies the energy they need to carry out day-to-day activities, food can also change our moods and help boost reasoning. As the saying goes “A hungry man is an angry man” There is no truer words than this.

When you’re hungry, you’re not just irritable you’re also less able to focus and make decisions. This is because your brain needs energy to function properly, and if you’re not getting enough nutrients from your diet, it can lead to cognitive impairment. That said, it’s neither a choice or an option but mandatory to eat right (not just any food but balanced diet).

A balanced diet that includes plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help to stabilize your blood sugar levels and keep your energy levels consistent throughout the day. If you are experiencing high level of stress in your career, personal life or relationship it could be high time to change diet!

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is not an option when it comes to minimizing stress and effectively taking care of your mental health. Water may not at first sight have a direct effect on your mood, however, if you do not drink water, it will change your mood. You begin to thirst and this can trigger or heighten your stress level if care is not taken.

Let’s take for example someone who is a diabetic patient, the person’s body gets receptive to body signals when tired and the first thing to do is to drink a glass of water and sometimes that way you will feel your stress and fatigue go away. We are a great biological machine, our mood is also a function of our biological functions so YES, you need to stay hydrated to reduce stress.

Just like staying without food or eating food short of the basic nutrients your body needs, staying dehydrated can negatively affect your mood and mess up your mind. Sometimes, taking a glass of water could make a whole lot of difference and bring us back on track. Remember the saying “WATER IS LIFE.”

Be Mindful

In Tao, it is said, “If you are in stress, it means either you are living in the past or the future.” Being mindful is living in the now and here. Mindfulness is described as a state of being where one is present in the moment without judgment and includes practices which enhance one’s awareness.

The big catch here is that it has been backed by research to have several benefits one of which is it contributes to increased awareness of one’s feelings and emotional regulation. As a result, mindfulness based practices reduce stress though disengagement from one’s thoughts subsequently leading to reduced negative affect. Additionally, improvement in memory is another benefit.

Other well known benefits of mindfulness may include a tendency to be less reactive, greater ability to sustain one’s attention and increased focus. Evidence suggests that mindfulness contributes to improved interpersonal relationships and overall greater life satisfaction by optimizing health and well-being.

Stop Complaining and Practice Gratitude

One thing that can eat you up faster than you ever can imagine is having the smelly attitude of complaining. You complain about your light bills, complain about taking the kids to school, complain about your Uber driver, complain about your neighbors’ nuisance, complain about your health and resources.

How about I tell you that’s not the perfect way to live your life. Complaining instead of showing gratitude could be a huge minus in your life and can send you down the drain as quickly as possible. Express gratitude for the things you get, it doesn’t matter how little or huge it is. Brace up yourself and celebrate your small wins and achievements.

Try writing down three things you’re grateful for each day, or say “thank you” when you get helped by someone. Don’t wait until the perfect time to be grateful because there’s sure not going to be a perfect time. More so, as a Nigerian, living in Nigeria is already surreal, and complaining can even make matters worse.

Clear Your Mind

The first thing to do when trying to reduce stress is mind-clearing. Seat and lean back, free your mind, and free yourself from the shackles of unhappiness. To do this, you need to be comfortable and calm. You can do this in places with fresh air, and zero noise. You need to cancel all thoughts in your mind and try to free your mind from any displeasing memories.

Engage In Activities That Makes You Happy

One of the most effective ways to reduce stress is by engaging in activities that make you happy, and it’s even more suitable for relieving mental stress. Some people like playing video games, watching movies, and watching sports shows while some might prefer hanging out with friends or families. If you think playing games makes you happy, there are tons of games you can download to your mobile phones, or perhaps you can buy a gaming console or computer.

If you are a movie fan, there are plenty of movies you can watch while you are less busy. All you have to do is decide on the genre you want to watch and stream online or download to your device. And if watching sports matches makes you happy, whether you are a football fan or basketball fan, there is cable TV that airs live matches.

Listen To Music

For some people, music has been a great way to reduce stress. The gentle rhythm, the slow bass, and the engaging lyrics are all helpful when trying to relieve stress. If you want to use music to relieve stress, I will implore you not to use fast songs or musicals with loud beats.

Have Enough Sleep

Regardless of your working hours, you need to set aside time to have a good sleep. Whether it’s during the day or night, sleeping is a very efficient way to reduce stress. Although there are situations where you won’t be able to sleep because of stress, you can visit your doctor for a prescription or perhaps try to abstain from caffeine. Not having enough sleep can lead to insomnia and trust me you don’t want to have insomnia. Try to sleep early and observe the siesta once in a while.

Not able to sleep? Why not move to a quiet place, a place with fresh air and comfortable bedding.

Maintain physical exercise and good nutrition

Another effective way to unwind is by engaging in softcore exercise. You shouldn’t aim for this exercise to increase your muscles or to build stamina, instead use them to train your mind and relax your muscles. You can engage in light jogging or endurance treks. Do this early in the morning before sunset for a quick result.

After exercising, you should prioritize Eating nutritious foods as they are also proven to be an efficient way of reducing stress.

Spend Time In Nature

Spending time in nature has proven to be one of the best self-care activities for reducing stress. You can take a stroll when the night is still young, visit the beach or take a tour in flower gardens. The cool breeze alone is sufficient to calm some nerves.

Get a massage

Although massage is a physical activity, trust me it’s a very efficient way to reduce pain and stiffness. If you can’t afford to pay for a massage, you can ask your partner or a friend to help.

Note that if any of the above information doesn’t help you, kindly visit a professional as they will be able to provide more healthy tips that can help you reduce stress.

Wrap Up

With problems here and there in the country currently, it is very crucial to prioritize your mental health and implement some essential self-care practices to keep you going despite the stress and pressure you may face whether in your school, at work, or in meetings.

I believe this article can help you achieve a relatively stress-free life and also provide you with some insights on how you can manage stress in a fast-paced and stressful country like Nigeria! Thank you for reading thus far. Please, if you found this post helpful, share it with your friends, family, and loved ones