Ngozi is a trader in Onitsha market who has not visited a clinic since she gave birth to her last child, who is now 10 years. She considers going to the hospital without being sick a luxury, especially when she opens her stall at six in the morning and closes at 10 pm. She feels constantly tired. She notices that her head aches more than it used to, and that climbing the stairs to her apartment leaves her slightly breathless in a way it did not five years ago. She mentions this to her sister, who tells her it is stress. She agrees. She does not check her blood pressure. She does not know what her blood sugar is.

Chidi is a software developer in Lagos who spends ten hours a day at his laptop. He eats irregularly, sleeps poorly, and has not exercised consistently since university. He is not unwell, by any measure he has applied to himself. When he feels tired, he drinks several cans of energy drinks to boost his stamina. But six months ago, he began noticing a persistent low mood that he cannot explain. He is struggling with motivation and productivity that he does not really understand. But he tells himself it is nothing. He is waiting for a crisis to tell him what regular attention might have told him months ago.

Amina is a 58 year old retired schoolteacher in Kano managing type 2 diabetes diagnosed four years ago. Her doctor gave her medication, told her to reduce sugar, and scheduled a review appointment she missed because of transport costs. Since then, she has managed largely alone. She checks it when there are free health outreaches in her community. She feels anxious every time she eats, unsure whether what she is doing is enough. She knows her condition requires monitoring. The monitoring requires resources she does not have. This has created anxiety as another health burden.

Discussion

Every 24 July, the world observes International Self-Care Day, a date chosen because self-care should be practised 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This year, the campaign’s theme by the World Health Organisation: Self-Care Puts Your Health in Your Hands: Test. Track. Thrive. Taking care of yourself today is one of the best investments you can make for tomorrow.

The message for this year is to test when you need answers, track your progress, and thrive through healthier habits.

Non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and cancer are now responsible for a growing proportion of illness and death, with non-communicable diseases accounting for a significant percentage of all deaths in Nigeria. Hypertension may exist for a decade before a person becomes aware; most people often find out after a stroke, heart attack, or kidney failure. Diabetes may progress unnoticed until complications such as vision loss or nerve damage appear. Depression may be missed until it results in a suicidal attempt or completed suicide. Anxiety and depression may present as substance use to compensate for the uncomfortable symptoms they may be going through.

Chronic illness and poor mental health are deeply entangled. Unmanaged hypertension and diabetes are associated with elevated rates of depression and anxiety. Equally, depression impairs self-care behaviours by reducing the motivation to exercise, eat well, take medication consistently, and attend health appointments. Effective self-care for many chronic illnesses requires not only medication adherence but lifestyle practices including dietary salt reduction, physical activity, and weight management. Medication adherence and lifestyle changes are difficult for people struggling with their mental health. Having a chronic illness also increases anxiety, further worsening mental health.

Strategies to Foster Self-Care and Wellbeing

Test: The first step in self-care is knowing where you stand. Blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing, mental health screening, and routine health assessments should be done as often as possible.

Track by building consistent health monitoring habits: Knowing a number once is useful. Knowing how it changes over time is transformative. Tracking sleep, mood, blood pressure, blood sugar, physical activity, and other health indicators gives individuals the information to make meaningful adjustments before health conditions escalate.

Mental health as a core component of self-care: Self-care covers seven core pillars: health literacy, mental wellbeing, physical activity, healthy eating, risk avoidance, good hygiene, and the rational use of healthcare products and services. Tracking mood, recognizing early warning signs of depression and anxiety, practicing stress management, maintaining social connection, and seeking help when needed are all self-care practices.

Educate yourself: Health literacy is the capacity to find, understand, and use health information to make good decisions and is the foundation beneath every other self-care behaviour.

CONCLUSION

Prevention is always better than cure. The cheapest and easiest form of prevention starts with intentional self-care. Pay attention to your health in a holistic manner: your physical health, mental health and your social wellbeing and interactions.