The Day Wellness Saved My Life (And I Didn’t See It Coming)

Two weeks ago, I was sitting in my small apartment in Surulere, scrolling through TikTok like my life depended on it.

My body felt heavy, my chest tight, and my mind was racing. I wasn’t sick—at least, not in the way people could see.

I whispered to myself, “I’m just tired… it’s probably stress.”

But the truth? I hadn’t slept properly in days. My eating habits were trash, energy drinks had become my breakfast, and “mental health” felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford.

That night, I got a text from my friend Ada:

Ada: “Guy, you dey ghost everybody these days. Come out for a yoga class tomorrow, abeg. E no go kill you.”

I laughed bitterly. Me? Yoga? The only stretching I did was reaching for my charger. But something in me—maybe desperation—said yes.

The next day, I walked into a small wellness studio in Lekki. The walls were painted pastel blue, with plants in every corner. It smelled of lavender and fresh lemongrass tea.

People in colorful mats were chatting softly. I felt like a fraud.

“First time?” a lady with kind eyes asked. She was the instructor.

I nodded. “Yeah. Don’t expect much from me.”

She smiled. “Wellness is not about performance. It’s about presence. Just breathe.”

I rolled my eyes, but I stayed.

As the session started, I struggled to hold simple poses. Sweat trickled down my forehead. My mind screamed, “This is nonsense!”

But then… something strange happened.

At the end, during the final meditation, lying flat on my mat, I felt my chest loosen for the first time in weeks. The silence wrapped around me like a soft blanket.

Out of nowhere, I broke down in tears.

Ada noticed and whispered, “Omo, are you okay?”

Through sobs, I admitted, “I think I’ve been depressed, but I kept pretending I was fine.”

That room didn’t judge me. Everyone just stayed quiet, giving me space. For the first time, I didn’t feel alone.

Here’s the part that still shocks me.

As I walked out of the studio, still wiping tears, a stranger tapped my shoulder.

It was the instructor. She handed me a small flyer.

“This Saturday, we’re holding a free mental health check-up in partnership with a wellness clinic. You should come.”

I shrugged, unsure if I would. But that Saturday, something pushed me to show up.

After speaking with a therapist, I was told I had been living with high-functioning anxiety and depression for months.

If not for Ada dragging me to yoga, I might have ignored the signs until it was too late.

Today, I’m not “cured,” but I’m better. I journal every morning, eat meals that actually fuel my body, and I’ve swapped late-night scrolling for evening walks under the Lagos streetlights.

Wellness, I’ve realized, isn’t just about green smoothies or gym selfies. It’s about catching yourself before you break.

Sometimes, the universe sends you tiny nudges—a text from a friend, a yoga class, or even this story you’re reading right now.

So if you’re reading this and feeling overwhelmed, please don’t ignore it. Wellness might just save your life too—just like it saved mine.

Mental health, self-care routines, yoga, mindfulness, and healthy living aren’t just buzzwords—they are survival tools. Prioritizing wellness could be the difference between burnout and balance, between despair and discovery.