It was a sweet Sunday morning, with a very calm and relaxing ambience, and what else could suit such morning, if not a very hot akara.
The compound was near empty as many neighbours had already left for church.
As I stepped out to begin my ‘akara quest’, there was my next-door neighbour, Victor.
“Good morning, Victor”, I greeted.
“Where you de go this early morning”, I enquired before he could even answer my greeting.
“I wan buy akara”, he replied.
You needed to have seen the broad smile on my face as he mentioned akara.
It was so much that Victor himself could not help but smile. It was as if my smile was all the reply he needed, to know that we share the same mission.
Without saying a word, we headed straight to Iya Igbo’s kiosk, because if we waste more time, we might miss her ‘legendary’ akara.
Yes, ‘Legendary’, that’s how we describe her akara, to show you how good it is.
We arrived at the spot, and luckily for us, there were still some left.
“Madam give me akara 300”, I said after greeting Iya Igbo and her elderly husband.
I was shocked to my bones when this woman tied 6 pieces of akara for me.
“How much be akara”, I asked.
“akara na 50 naira”, the woman responded.
I could also see the shock on my neighbour’s face.
We had expected every other thing, but certainly not buying one piece of akara for 50 naira.
“No be me do am, na Nigeria cause am, beans now don cost”, the woman explained.
We were still trying to get over the shock, when an elderly man who is very popular in the neigbourhood passed by.
“Good morning, Papa”, I and my neighbour greeted the old man.
Immediately, a thunderous voice responded behind us.
“Who be Papa?”, the voice said.
We were gripped by fear.
We turned slowly. It was the husband of the akara seller.
“Who una de call Papa? this small boy? Abi na because stress and suffer don make am old pass him age?”
“Na small boy ooo”, the man added.
Everyone busted into laughter.
We bought our akara and off we went.
As expected, we enjoyed every bit of the legendary akara, but one question kept ringing in my head.
How can stress make someone age so fast?
As we shared our wonderful football gist, this question kept ringing in my head.
I took it upon myself to get to the root of it, and as usual, I will love to share my findings.
Indeed, stress can make you age fast.
Did You Miss? Five Ways To Reduce Stress
The truth is, Nigerians are so engulfed with hustling for money that they oftentimes forget to rest.
In Lagos for instance, many people wake as early as 4:00 am, and guess when they get home? 10:00 pm.
What are they doing for the rest of the time? Work.
Some do not even have the opportunity to expose themselves to sun light, which is a very important need for the human body.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information: “Numerous studies have shown a link between chronic psychological stress and mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic disorder (PTSD), as well as accelerated aging.”
What To Do
Now that you know the risk this little thing called stress possesses, it is high time we start looking into it to avoid being called ‘Papa’ at the age of 36.
First, ensure you have enough and adequate rest.
Relax, there is no need to be in so much of a hurry. Believe me, if you slump today and die, that work you are rushing to meet will still continue.
If you were such a dedicated staff, highest you will get is a one-minute silence, in no time, another person has assumed your position, and life goes on.
We are not saying you should not take your work seriously, no, what we are saying is, make out time too for your health.
Do not forget, health is wealth.
Regular exercise is also key in maintaining and keeping the body fit.
Hit the gym regularly and exercise those muscles, you need it.
Eat good and healthy meals that nourishes the body.
Also, prioritise your social life.
Find time to relax, hang out with friends, and do the things that makes you happy.
Hangout more with people who have positive mindset, energy, and vibes.
And lastly, don’t forget to always smile, it keeps your face glowing.
