Who else has been feeling the heat wave in Lagos lately?

I had to do some moving recently and so had been feeling the impact of the hot weather more than usual.

I think I got three shades darker, as a result.

Interacting with people and places on a daily basis is all fun and games, but it can be overwhelming for sensitive people.

Grounding activities can be helpful when we are feeling disconnected from our environment.

Here are some of the activities I have tried out to stay connected to my mind and body in rough times:

Deep Breathing

When I first discovered the art of deep breaths, I was a teenager i think.

I can’t remember the date exactly, but I remember feeling deeply relaxed.

It felt like home. I never wanted to leave.

Taking deep, slow breaths and focusing on the sensation of the air moving in and out of our lungs can be helpful for release and relaxation.

Meditation

I started really meditating last year, when I discovered the Balance app.

It was easy to navigate and I was able to follow a guided meditation session, after another.

I did this until I became aware of my emotions, including the ones I was not previously aware that I was feeling.

Mindfulness meditation, especially, helped me to focus my attention on the present moment and cultivate a sense of inner peace and calm.

Yoga

The first time I discovered yoga, I thought it was a joke.

Seeing people sit in such manner was alien to me.

I recall thinking, maybe they were sick and reflecting on their lives, but I was so wrong.

Yoga is a deeply sacred practice dedicated to honoring the self.

It grounds you completely to the earth, and reconnects you to your being.

There are different poses you can do to stretch your muscles while taking deep, slow breaths.

Nature Walks

I started taking walks as early as 10/11 years old on Alo crescent street.

Walking has always been special to me, coupled with the fact that calories shed in the process.

I take walks whenever I need to clear my head.

I recently got the opportunity to work on a shoot that was set at Lekki Conservation Center.

This was my third time at the reserve, so I already felt connected to the space.

Walking through nature helped me release the tension that had been storing in my body due to stress.

Grounding Exercises

Every time I walk into the beach or a garden, I take off my footwear and place my bare feet on the sand.

This is such a grounding process because you immediately feel one with the earth.

You can also make use of grounding tools like weighted blankets, or grounding mats.

One time, my friend and I drove to the beach behind his house in Lekki.

We spread a mat on the sand, a few steps from the water.

We laid on the mat and took deep breaths as we counted the stars.

It was such a grounding experience for me because every time I remember him now, I smile.

Planting

The first time I planted, I was a young teenager. I planted a bean and I watered it everyday.

Within a week, the stems shot out and I had a smile on my face for the whole day.

I realized that I felt proud for contributing to the birth of the life of that plant.

But after I matured into my early 20s, I stopped planting. One or two times I missed it, but I never got around trying it again.

Working and paying bills had become my top priority, and that made me sad.

Last week, with the help of my brother and a shovel, I found a container, got some good soil and moved a plant in.

I am currently taking baby steps to rejuvenate my planting habits and this has significantly improved my mood.

Writing

As a young teen, every time I beheld a blank sheet in a book, it filled my heart with joy.

I was a happy young girl as long as I had my notepad and my pen.

I wrote down my thoughts. I created scenarios. I jotted down what I learned from class. I wrote down all the things I wanted to be when I grew up.

Writing was a good tool for my self expression and awareness.

If you are a highly sensitive person (HSP) and have a hard time regulating your emotions, you need to have a notepad by your side at all times.

You don’t have to be a writer to write. You can purchase a journal and write your thoughts in it every day, for your eyes only.

This can be helpful for people who frequently feel the need to confide or vent to a listening ear.

Your journal can serve as that listening ear, nevertheless it should not be used to replace therapy.

Dancing

Oh how I love dancing!

I joined my first dancing glass in primary school, where we learned choreography.

Then I joined my second dancing class in high school, we were taught break dancing.

I also learned how to whine my hips and twist my waist.

As a young adult, I learned to be guarded about dancing because it excited men quickly.

What was projected on me was that:
Women danced for the male gaze. This affected my relationship with dance.

Ezinne Akam

At parties, I would sit. At home, I would dance.

It continued this way for one or two years.

In 2021, I attended an EDM event in Ikoyi.

You need to see the way I gasped at how freely people danced at these parties.

The women looked liberated, the men were carefree. It was a happy place.

I realized that we all have the freedom to dance alone, by ourselves, in the ways that feel truest to us.

I can always say no to that man on the dance floor.

On the side, next time I’m on a plane or a train I would love to break into a dance, to see people’s reactions. Fun 🙂

I hope you found the above tips helpful. Namaste.