Managing stress : Simple techniques for busy Nigerians

What is Stress?

This may seem like a rather obvious question. Everyone knows what stressis, or at the very least, knows when they are experiencing it firsthand orwitnessing its effects on someone close to them. Did you also know thatstress is natural? Yes! Stress is the physiological and psychological wayhuman beings react to changes, events, situated that disrupt our body'sbalance.

Stress is that feeling when you can't seem to sit still, when your thoughtsare racing and you feel out of control. Your body feels tense, as if tied into aknot. You feel revved up but can't figure out where to direct your energy.Time pressures weigh down on you, concentration seems difficult.

As a Nigerian, you cannot escape stress as we are living in a developingalmost failing country. Where you get stressed from living life and carryingon life functioning tasks such as; going to the market, going to the bank,attending a lecture with over 500 students in a 100 seater classroom. Onyour way back you could meet an angry bus driver who wouldunconsciously make life more stressful.

The Intense pressure you feel in your neck, in your back, in your belly. Younotice your hands are shaking. There is, perhaps, an increase in sweatingin your palms. Your heart rate has increased, and your heart feels troubled.This is stress, or at least some of the symptoms. As you will learn, thereare many others that you will learn to recognize, and understand how theydevelop. Though people experience stress in different ways which meansthat stress is relative that is, what stresses you could give me pleasure andvice versa. This is due to our respective perceptions; if you view a situation/task as negative, you would feel stressed as there would be a release ofthe fight or flight hormone - Adrenaline. And if you see a situation/task aspositive, you would feel relaxed or happy and the happy hormone -dopamine would be released.

Symptoms of Stress

There is a fairly good possibility that you are experiencing some degree ofstress in your life right now, perhaps this very minute. Why not if not?Especially if you're born and living in Nigeria. How do you know whenyou're stressed? Stress symptoms are your body's way of getting yourattention to tell you: look, you’ve got to get your act together. I'm a little tiredof you running me over my breaking point. I'm going to annoy you until youdo something about this situation. And if you don't pay attention to me,wellthen, I'll just have to figure out more ways to get to you. If your body couldtalk to you, it might communicate these messages. The problem is thatstress symptoms are not always obvious and direct; sometimes they canbe disguised or rather subtle and their messages somewhat clouded.

The symptoms are divided into four main categories;

1. Physiological : Heart palpitations, Sweating, Drymouth, Fatigue,Insomnia, Nausea, Dizziness, Loss of appetite, High blood pressure,Weight Loss or gain. (If you're a Nigerian living in Nigeria the formeris most likely your story)

2. Cognitive : Impaired memory, Disorientation, Unrealisticdemands, Disasterizing, Illogical Thinking, Excessive blame,Obsessiveness, Loss Of Humor,Suicidal thoughts, Delusion.(Nigerians call it delulu)

3. Emotional : Fear, Worry, Panic, Guilt, Anger, Denial,Hopelessness, Numbness, Depression, Despair, Impatience.

4. Behavioral : Crying, Rage, Withdrawal, Substance abuse,Self-medication, Impulsiveness, Phobias, Hyperactivity, Lethargy,Aggression, Rambling, Insomnia, Loss of Appetite.

Health Complications of Stress

Stress, even though it's a normal phenomenon, can lead to detrimentalhealth complications. You know what's more crazy? You will get morestressed trying to treat them because of the poor medical system inNigeria. So in all you do, avoid them. These are the health complications;

1. Cardiovascular Issues : Stress can increase blood pressureand lead to heart diseases such as hypertension, heart attack,increased blood pressure. This is as a result of the excess Cortisolhormone released. In case you didn't know, Cortisol is a steroidhormone that your adrenal glands, the endocrine glands on top ofyour kidneys, produce and release. Cortisol affects several aspects ofyour body and mainly helps regulate your body's response to stress.

2. Gastrointestinal Problems : When stress activates thefight-or-flight response in your central nervous system, it can affectyour digestive system by; Causing your esophagus to go intospasms, Increasing the acid in your stomach, which results inindigestion, making you feel nauseous (I know you want to wastethat food but please don't! Food is expensive in this country.)leading to diarrhea or constipation. In more serious cases, stress maycause a decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the stomach, whichcould lead to cramping, inflammation, or an imbalance of gutbacteria. It can also exacerbate gastrointestinal disorders, including:

3. Weakened Immune System : Stress can suppress theimmune system, making the body more susceptible to infections andillnesses. Stress is associated with changes in the functioning ofimmune cells. That is, there is a relatively large decrease in bothlymphocyte proliferation and natural killer cell activity in individualswho have experienced stress. There seems to be some connectionbetween the duration of the stress and the amount of immunechange. For example, the longer the stress, the greater the decreasein the number of specific types of white blood cells. It also appearsthat interpersonal stress (such as bereavement or divorce) producedifferent immune outcomes compared with the stress due to examsor unemployment.

4. Weight Gain or Loss : Stress may lead to unhealthy eatinghabits, causing weight gain (especially due to high cortisol levels) orloss, depending on the individual's response. But take it from me; ifyou're a Nigerian living in Nigeria you're definitely going to loseweight rather than adding.

5. Chronic Pain : Stress can lead to conditions such as headaches,migraines, and musculoskeletal pain (like back or neck pain). This isthe typical dilemma of a Nigerian because tell me why my house is sofar from school? And guess what? There are no inter school transportservices and I'm to attend classes everyday. This is relatable to ahigh number of Nigerian students.

6. Diabetes : Chronic stress can affect blood sugar levels,contributing to the onset or worsening of diabetes. Stress can affect aperson’s hormone levels, potentially disrupting how well insulinworks. It can activate the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis and thesympathetic nervous system. This can cause hormonal changes,such as higher cortisol levels and lower levels of sex hormones. Thelevels of these hormones affect insulin levels. Cortisol is commonlyknown as the stress hormone. It can also stimulate the production ofglucose in the body and raise a person’s blood sugar thereby leadingto diabetes.

7. Substance Abuse : To cope with stress, some individuals mayturn to drugs, alcohol, or smoking, which can lead to addiction andfurther health problems. (Please don't take any substance that couldendanger your health. Nigerian medical structure is almost as bad).

8. Skin Issues : When the mind or body become distressed (by areal or unreal threat), our brain secretes hormones that induce therelease of cortisol, a stress hormone, from our adrenal glands. Ourskin has receptors for this stress hormone, and their activation resultsin various changes to our skin, such as: Increased inflammation,impaired wound healing, more oil and sebum production, impairedresistance to infection. There's this phrase I stand by “Don't let yourskin look like your problems.” So my dear, above anything invest inskincare.

Stress vs Fatigue

I thought they meant the same thing. I would find myself saying “I'mfatigued!” because as a Nigerian, using big words unnecessarily is part ofour lifestyle as we aim to look and sound smarter than our peers. Withoutfurther ado, here is the difference:Stress as we have treated is the response to a perceivedthreat/pressure, while fatigue is the result of prolonged stress. In lay man'sterms, fatigue is a result of too much stress

Are you stressed?

You're most likely stressed. Adulthood is stressful. But how stressed areyou? You are probably expecting me to write a long list of symptoms buthonestly I think that is not necessary as you know yourself. Only you cantell yourself the truth. Anytime you notice anything out of the ordinary, itcould be your body's way of telling you it is stressed. Anytime you feel alittle bit of discomfort from doing a task or being in a situation it may be asymptom of stress.

Managing Stress

1. Balance work and play : All work and no play, makes you astressed person. Make time to work on your tasks and goals (likeschoolwork, chores, or practice). But be sure to make time for things youenjoy, too (like playing music, working out, playing games or spending timewith friends). Even if it’s only a few minutes, daily time to relax and combatstress.

2. Plan yourself : Use a calendar or planning app to keep track of yourday to day activities as most times disorderliness can be a major cause ofStress. Fill in your class times, tests, and when assignments are due. Addyour activities. Set out time to study for tests and work on assignments.Also set out time to do things you enjoy. Having a plan and a daily routinelowers stress. Personally, I don't use a calendar, I'll try to later on but what Ido is that, before the day starts, I write out things I'm meant to do in mynote app or my WhatsApp app (you probably have gotten access to theupdate on your WhatsApp that allows you to talk to yourself) so that as I setout to go on with my day, I would use it as a guide to know what I'veaccomplished and what I'm yet to accomplish. You don't want to go homeand realize you forgot to buy the fish your mom sent you to buy from Mrs.Nkechi. That feeling would add more stress to you. Avoid it by planning!

3. Stick to your plan : I'm not perfect, and I sometimes don't stick tomy planning and the result is never funny. So don't be like me. Planning isas good as useless if you don't do what you plan. Make it a routine to lookat your planner every day. Check off what you’ve done. Get ready forwhat’s coming up. Make a routine time to study. Keep on top ofassignments. This lowers daily schoolwork stress.

4. Ask for help when you need it : There is no need to die insilence - A closed mouth is a stressed person. Life in general is a bigsource of stress for many people. Keeping on top of it all isn’t always easy.If you need help preparing for tests, planning projects, or getting thingsdone, ask a teacher, parent, tutor, or mentor to coach you. If you tend toprocrastinate, pair up with a classmate to study or do homework at a settime. Do not pair up with someone who is a procrastinator as you becauseyour life would just become more stressful than it is. Speak up when needbe! You never can tell if the solution to your problem is in the mouth ofanother person.

5. Eat : What if the reason you're stressed is because of hunger? Or thereason you're stressed is because you're eating the wrong food? What youeat affects your mood, energy, and stress level. Don't eat too muchbecause if you become obese, that would be more stress. Choose foodsthat are good for you. You don’t have to avoid all treats. Sometimes spendyour money on good food!

6. Get enough sleep : After a long day of activities, you might feellike staying up late. Drop that phone and sleep! Going to bed late doesn’tleave enough time for sleep when you need to get up early for the next day.Without enough sleep, you’re more likely to feel stressed over the day’s upsand downs. Before I forget, do not sleep too much!

7. Exercise every day : Stress melts away when you’re working out,playing a sport, or dancing to your favorite music. Exercise does more thankeep you fit. It’s a way to manage stress, lower anxiety and depression,and make your mood more positive.

8. Pray : Prayer is a communication between you and a supernaturalbeing (God) nine out of ten times you're stressed because of situationsbeyond your control. Why not say a word of prayer? The mere thought ofknowing that God hears you and is intentional about your well-being is astress relief. Nigerians would say “God Abeg!”

9. Fall in love : Yes you! You single pringle! You probably think you'rethe most independent person alive and that's why you're stressed! Twoheads are better than one. You don't have to do life on your own. For moredrama in your life, I'd advise you to fall in love with a Yoruba man called“Femi” your life would never be the same.

10. Leave the country : Nigeria choke! Leave the country! Run awayif you can, if you can't, go on a vacation out of your state, or in your state.Take your time to change scenery every here and there. It helps a lot.

Conclusion

Stress is an inevitable part of life, especially in a fast-paced, demandingenvironment like Nigeria. However, understanding what stress is,recognizing its symptoms, and acknowledging its effects on your mental,physical, and emotional well-being is crucial. While stress can push us toperform and adapt, prolonged or unmanaged stress can lead to serioushealth complications. It is therefore essential to cultivate effective stressmanagement strategies—whether through planning, seeking support,engaging in physical activities, or finding joy in relationships and spirituality.Remember, stress is a natural response, but it doesn’t have to control yourlife. With mindfulness and proper self-care, we can transform stress into anopportunity for growth and resilience.