Essays, Articles & Tales

MENTAL HACKS Meditation - The Psychological First Aid  Meditation helps to calm the monkey mind, whose natural tendency is to jump from one thought to another, with little to no positive outcome. Fear, worry, stress, and anxiety can be brought under control via meditation, and this should be your psychological first aid before you pop any pills. T he mind derives benefits from being calm, and this is the best self-help for anxiety. Simply relax - Life is not that deep (LOL). PS: Avoid the Nigeria Stock Exchange, Nigerian Newspapers, and Gossip Blogs. Your mind is the source of all suffering, heavily impacted by the kind of media we consume. Social media is a chief contributor to the mental health crisis, so to stay creative, regulating my screen time became necessary. I chose to block out time for relaxation and meditation. After a short meditation session, I feel a boost in my ability to focus on tasks. Focus is regained when we slow things down, which greatly reduces post-traumat...

  GET ACTIVE: THE FOUNDATION OF WELLNESS We age according to how much stress, anxiety, depression, and muscle atrophy we experience. Yes, we might fabricate our age for as long as we can. But the grey hairs and wrinkles are no respecter of persons. They come to stay and we better make peace with them. - Provoe  The Creative Body Our sedentary lifestyle has been proven to be the leading cause of back pain. As I write this article, I am on my feet, moving my body to some great Amapiano playlist - I prefer music with words I don't understand, so my mind can wander without distraction. Going to the gym regularly may be difficult but you have all the weight you need to flex those muscles - Calisthenics will be your best friend. It includes Push-ups, squats, stretches, pull-ups, planks... and all sorts of exercises that need no equipment. Though aging is known to sneak up on you, moving your body is vital to checkmate the process. For example, being creative and suffering from OCD, ...

Self-Mastery: Taking Control of Your Mind Self-mastery is about being in charge of your thoughts and feelings, becoming self-aware and conscious of your internal state of mind. With self-mastery, you refine your focus to achieve your desires and unlock your highest potential. But this is a difficult task as you will discover. As a young creative coming up, people will take advantage of your determination to prove your worth. Your initial salary may remain unchanged for the first 5 years of employment, with the excuse that your value isn't well defined in the company. They will purposely devalue you. When you finally get their attention by disturbing their peace, your appeal may lead to a 30% increase in the meager salary, and that's it. You may end up stuck with a bad deal for many more years, with no one caring about your well-being. Good luck affording two meals a day. You will wear second-hand clothes and shoes to your “prestigious” office while living in a rundown apartment...

A GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH In my 7-year effort to build the Provoe brand (a platform teaching self-mastery), I applied some hacks that helped me to survive the challenges of being a Nigerian creative. Dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder from my childhood without therapy, I encountered some toxic experiences in the entertainment industry, which helped me detect symptoms of bipolar disorder. I self-diagnosed my mental health condition through dedicated research and self-observation. Have you ever felt sad, angry, or confused, shortly after basking in joyful enthusiasm? It's OK to feel these emotions, as everyone does. But when your mood changes erratically, consider paying attention to your mind. What is Mental Health? Just like self-care - you brush your teeth, bathe, eat healthy, exercise, and get good sleep to maintain a healthy body. But what do you do to maintain a healthy mind? Mental health is about how you feel, think, and behave. This affects your attitude and impacts ...