Overcoming Adversity: Coping with Stress
By Damilola Busari
Currently, in Nigeria, there is a daily increase in fuel prices, a constant struggle to collect Permanent Voters Cards (PVC), and a scarcity of the new currency issued by the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN). So, an average Nigerian will spend hours queuing at filling stations to get fuel at exorbitant prices, also queue at the bank to access the new currency or the other option is to pay ridiculously high charges to get them from POS vendors. Despite all of these challenges, we still have to show up to work (and perform well) and go about our daily activities.
Oh, lest I forget, there is also the issue of INEC delaying the distribution of PVCs despite the fact that the general elections are just a few weeks away. The toll of all of this, coupled with demanding workloads and in some cases unemployment, can result in a general state of distress known as Stress.
Some common signs to know you’re stressed include; headaches, mood changes, fatigue, dizziness, digestive problems, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, muscle tension, and physical aches and pains.
Some tips on how to reduce stress
Track your stressors and build awareness; It’s important to identify the situations that cause you the most stress and how you respond to them. Also, increasing your understanding of how stress impacts your well-being can motivate you to interrupt the stress cycle and prioritize rejuvenation.
Take time to recharge; To avoid the negative effects of stress and burnout, we need time to recharge by switching off from work for a period of time.
Set Boundaries; Boundaries help us choose meaningful priorities and let go of the things that don’t provide nourishment. Work-life boundaries are a good example.
Learn to relax; Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness are all techniques that can help relieve stress. Start by devoting a few minutes each day to a simple activity such as breathing, working, or enjoying a meal.
Get some support; Accepting help from trusted friends and family members can help you manage stress better. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you should consult a psychologist, who can help you manage it better.
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” – Etty Hillesum
Thanks for this brief yet powerful piece. It’s enough to get my daily worthwhile
Please share with your network and thank you for reading!
Well said. These tips are very practical and realistic. Thanks for sharing.
We are really glad that you found it useful!
This is precise and timely. Thanks to the writer????????????????????.
Thank you so much! Please share if you found it useful!
Thank you for identifying some tips to reduce stress, am sure that will go a long way on how people can manage themselves well.
Thank you so much for this piece Damilola. I find that setting boundaries has been really helpful for me. It helps me prioritize what’s important and what is not. That way I’m able to expend my energy at the right things
It sounds like you have already started putting the advice in this article to good use already. Thank you for reading and your comments.
On *One hand* this is timely and practical. Thanks!
We hope it will help you a more balanced life!
This is aovely write-up. The tips are precise and can be applied easily. I need to share this out there. More people need to see this. Kudos to the writer.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing!
Great piece with practical steps to follow.
Well done
Thank you!
This is a great piece I must say, and very timely as well. Thanks for this beautiful write up
Relieving stress cannot be overemphasised. An enlightening piece
We agree! Please share with your network!
Absolutely enjoyed reading this. Also taking notes because the “shege” I have seen this month is a lot????. Need to relax!
Please make sure to find time to do nothing at least for a few hours a day! Thank you for reading and please share!
Beautiful write up ????????????????????????
Thank you! Please share.
Applicable tips! Thank you.
This was very informative and simple to understand.
Thank you
Information nicely passed across.
Thanks
A wonderful write up with good guide lines
Thank you!
Prioritise rejuvenation, that’s it for me.
Thanks for sharing.
We love this! Please share with your community.
Very informative write up. Thank you for this. I practically took time off work to read it and I am thankful I did.
Excellent! A quick 5-10 minutes break at work to walk around and take a breath is always good.
This was a good read, simple and Informative
This is a beautiful write-up, and it’s timely. Thank you
Wow! Nice write up, this came in handy. Looking forward to more.
Thank you! We will be sure to share our monthly blog with you.
I feel knowing your stressors is one of the most important tip. Once you find yourself in a situation that you know will lead to that, REMOVE yourself from it ASAP! Very nice read.
Thank you for this very useful and beautiful article!
Honestly, these your tips are amazing. The situation of the country at the moment is really tiring. I look forward to making good use of your tips.
Nice write up. Many thanks.
This is such a beautiful piece. Antone who reads would certainly find it helpful. God bless you ma.
Setting boundaries is so key because sometimes it’s the lack of boundary that adds unnecessary stress.
Thank you
This is a very nice piece. A lot of people will find this helpful. Well done.
This is so apt, this tips couldnt have come at a better time
This is a very relevant and eye opening piece. Thank you for putting it out there. It will help a lot of other people and myself cope with the reality of stress in this modern day Nigeria
Stress is what an average Nigeria can relate with, especially in these times. Thanks for sharing these practical tips to cope with it.
Very educative. Thanks for sharing
Necessary tips. Thanks for sharing.
I love this piece, well captured and great suggestions ????
Thank you for these powerful tips on how to reduce stress and maintain a healthy daily routine.
Thank you Damilola for this write Up, I needed this. Very helpful tips.
Good one. Prioritisation of tasks , having time table and all sort as mentioned in the article helps a lot to manage stress. Also let me reiterate and corroborate your points that people should learn how to ask for help. Jettison the fear of “I might be let down ” “I might receive a No” ….crawl out of your shell and ask for help, develop a good help-seeking behaviour, one of the best weapon in your Arsenal that you can use to wage war against stress!!!
Protecting one’s mental health is very critical at this stage. Focusing on stressors just makes things worse. Thank you for this
Thank you for the really instrumental piece for the current time
I really enjoyed reading this, enjoying a meal is a way to relax i would do more, thanks for the write-up.
Nice one. Needed with all the problems going on in the country.
Thanks for the tips. I will sure make use of them
Quite insightful!
This is quite thoughtful and needed in times like this. A wonderful piece. ????
Thank you!
Very insightful and revealing. Thank you for taking your time to articulate this. I’ve sure learnt a valuable lesson.
Well done writer, thanks much for the tips they are realistic.
Wow… These are really helpful tips
Simple and easy ways to reduce stress.
Thank you!
Great piece!
Thank You!
Thank you for this amazing piece. I really need to learn to ask for help from family & friends
Asking for help is tough, but a burden shared……
Nice… really practical, straight forward and helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Great! Application is key!
Absolutely helpful. Thanks a lot
We are happy you found it useful!
An absolutely delightful piece and I commend the writer. Really, it’s a miracle that Nigerians still get by with all the stress factors. We’re so used to challenging situations that many think they normal. Well done!
Thank you so much! We need to normalise the stress we face in Nigeria.
Very insightful article.
Thank you, Dami.
Thank you for reading. We hope you will put the tips to good use.
This is write-up is relatively brief and educative. We really need to reduce stress in our daily activities in other to enjoy good health