Our country is growing so rapidly that is hard to remember what life was like before. While our parents and grandparents certainly had to deal with stress, they also had more than enough time and space to take a step back and breathe. Today, things are changing so fast that you are feeling like you have to constantly sprint just to stand still. Even worse, if you stop to take a breath, you’re falling behind.
We’re going to change this by looking at how you can sidestep the stress in modern Nigeria in a way that makes you feel like you’re taking control of your life again. Let’s take a look so you can start making the changes.
Tell yourself that you are worthy
If you want to live a happy and relaxing life, but you are struggling to feel a satisfaction from hard work, you have to tell yourself you are worthy. You can beat the stress from living in a rapidly growing city and constantly battling your way to and from work by telling yourself that you are worthy.
You may find yourself in a stressful situation right now, but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up and get used to it for the rest of your life. When you tell yourself that you are worthy of more, you will be able to take the next step and keep moving in the right direction.
Remember why you’re working
Taking the time to remember why you go to work and push yourself so hard in the first place is key if you want to be able to set the tone for a more balanced way of life. You work to live rather than live to work, and that means you’re someone who deserves much more balance in your life.
If you find yourself working overtime one week, remind yourself that it means more money to spend on the things that matter in life. Put a portion of it to one side and then make sure to treat yourself so that you have a reward for all that extra effort. Little things like this really can make a big difference.
Make a weekly social arrangement
Having a date in the diary you can look forward to really matters because it gives you something to anchor to. Without a social plan or two, you can quickly fall into the trap of weeks and months where every day seems to be blurring into the next.
The problem is that you can easily fall into this trap, feeling like it´s impossible to get out. Make a quick call to a friend you have been meaning to catch up with and you will be able to break the trend and get yourself some much-needed balance and perspective.
Put your phone on silent after dinner
Making the decision to mute your phone and leave it in the other room in the evening is something that will allow you to create a far more relaxing routine. The truth is that we haven’t evolved to digest a continually growing stream of information, but that’s what we’re unwittingly trying to do by having our phones constantly by our side.
Escaping the online world for a couple of hours before bed allows your mind to slow down and gives your brain the time and space it needs to process the events of the day. Discover the balance and you’ll soon feel much more energized every time you wake up.
Read during your commute to work
Something as simple as swapping your phone for a book that you actually look forward to read can help you escape the stress. Being able to get lost in a story that holds your attention is a great way of making the commute less stressful. Work your way through a series where you can get to know the characters deeply and you’ll find that it’s even easier to make this a new habit.
Plan a vacation every year
Making sure that you take time off also includes booking in a vacation. Where you go and who you travel with is entirely up to you — there is no right or wrong answer when you want to escape the stress — just make sure you plan something soon enough.
In the modern world where we’re always connected, it’s easy to lose yourself in here and now and forget the bigger picture. Saving for a vacation that’s still 6 months away will help you maintain perspective and give you something positive to aspire to. In our experience, you’ll achieve a renewed sense of focus that will allow you to set the tone for a far less stressful time during the rest of 2025.
Always stay connected with family
It’s all too easy to take your family for granted and assume that if they wanted to hear from you, they would call you. Modern Nigeria never sleeps, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow the crowd. Pick up the phone and check the notifications once a week and you will find it really helpful to ground yourself.
The last word
Taking a moment to get away from it all isn’t about doing less — it’s about recharging your batteries so you can go again tomorrow. Putting your phone away so you’re not hooked on Facebook, playing online games, or checking and re-checking your Whatsapp is such a simple thing to do, and yet so few of us try it. Once you change this one little habit, you will see that everything else becomes so much easier.
You can do it!
