Hannah, a thirty-year-old marketing executive and part-time entrepreneur, has everything going well for her professionally. She had just launched a new business, Belly Cupid, in the hearts of Lekki, Lagos. Thanks to her love for cooking.

She’s got an excellent relationship with this tall, dark-skinned fully-bearded Yoruba guy named Yemi. And yeah, they do have occasional relationship hiccups, but for the most part, he is a darling.

She’s also been killing it in her marketing role for a budding Fintech company. Infact, she recently helped the brand land three new angel investors thanks to her presentation and persuasion skills.

Albeit there’s a problem. Hannah had time for her remote marketing job, Belly Cupid and Yemi, but had little to no time for herself. And this has been taking a toll on her mental, emotional and physical health without her knowledge. She’d work late into the night, keep up with Yemi in the middle of that, and sleep very late so she could hit her targets.

But lately, she’s been getting anxious almost unnecessarily. She has become argumentative and defensive. And the things that used to be fun to her no longer seem fun. She had focused so much on her professional life and others that she neglected her life.

One day, thanks to her regular cycle, she woke up with the worst panic attack ever. She wasn’t able to focus on her tasks for her Fintech firm. And she couldn’t run Belly Cupid like she used to because she felt exhausted. That was when she realised how much harm neglecting herself had done to her mental, emotional and physical health.

If you’re like Hannah, it’s time to take self-care seriously. As much as we want to set and hit specific targets in our professional lives or careers, it’s also okay to slow down and prioritise our well-being.

With self-care practices, you can better care for your mental and physical health and deepen your relationship with yourself. The best part? You can start small and with little to no cost.

Some helpful self-care practices you can start right now include deep breathing, journaling, dancing, reciting affirmations, napping when you’re tired (on a bed made with Fluidé essentials – of course), practising self-compassion, and going for walks.

“Remember, you are your own best investment. Invest in yourself and your lifestyle. Quality of life is a key component in finding joy and maintaining self-confidence.”

– Akiroq Brost

We hope this helps.