Mental Health, Self-Care, and Remote Work in Nigeria

by Adedoyin Ajayi

One of the aftereffects of COVID-19 is the popularity of remote work. It keeps gathering momentum among Nigerians as more and more workplaces adopt hybrid work practices. In this article, I speak to two Nigerian remote workers on mental health, self-care, and remote work, as well as their plans regarding the possibilities of remote work.

Lisa Udumorugbo studied History and International Studies and functions as the Community Manager of LIME, a platform for creatives, such as designers, content creators and writers. She is also a Content Writer and runs a podcast called ‘Teas and Talks.’ Olayemi Adewale, a Chemical Engineer, works as a Data Annotator for Hugo Tech Nigeria, a company into AI/ML models.

Working remotely can often create tensions as it can be challenging separating work lives from personal lives. This has the tendency to put strain on remote workers’ relationships with loved ones. However, through a combination of thoughtful people and disciplined efforts, both Lisa and Olayemi seamlessly manage both aspects. “For me, it has not been so difficult because I’m surrounded by people that understand,” Lisa says. Olayemi turns off background notifications for all apps on his phone in order to eliminate distractions. “This makes it easy for me to be focused on work and not get distracted,” he states, “sometimes, I don’t even keep my phone close to me.”

Remote workers face the need to be connected with coworkers from different locations. Hence, their jobs are heavily sedentary. Both Olayemi and Lisa share a mutual love for walks and reading. Lisa takes long walks ‘at least four times a week,’ while Olayemi observes a nightly ritual after work. Given the propensity to stare at screens for long periods daily, Olayemi makes use of anti-glare glasses, and takes full advantage of his health maintenance organisation. ‘I also do not miss out in visiting the hospital whenever I feel any slight discomfort,’ he affirms. Just like onsite workers, remote workers also face the possibility of burnout and exhaustion. Olayemi simply takes days off at work by making use of his leave whenever he faces burnout. ‘Also, I get distracted by attending fun events and participating in fun activities,’ he concludes. He also takes advantage of the therapy sessions and welfare support programmes his workplace offers. For Lisa, ‘there’s nothing better than a good rest especially when you’re feeling drained.’

A common benefit touted in remote work is the flexibility of being able to work from anywhere. Both Lisa and Olayemi are of the same mind. Lisa loves the idea of not waking early for work. ‘I’m more of a night owl,’ she mentions. In addition to this, Olayemi mentions the cost saved in commuting, and avoiding the stress of mobility as well as the notorious Lagos traffic as huge advantages for him.

Yet, remote work comes with its own fair share of challenges. ‘A challenge so far is time management,’ Lisa adds. Juggling several activities – podcasting, writing, national youth service, and managing a community sometimes has her struggling, but she manages to stay on track. ‘I’ve been able to adjust to those challenges by setting out time to different things, so, yeah.’ Additionally, weak infrastructure in the form of an epileptic power supply and poor service delivery of internet service providers are significant challenges to the business environment in Nigeria. “It’s something many remote workers are already used to,” she notes sadly, “it’s one of the greatest challenges.” Olayemi also expresses his frustrations with the infrastructural problems, citing electricity, network issues and the recent hike in price of data as challenges. The recent increment has left the Nigerian populace upset, as yet another issue to deal with in the never-ending price increments of goods and services in the country. “It’s crazy,” Olayemi remarks. “The sudden hike in price and everyone is just acting normal.”

While Lisa enjoys working remotely, she would love to work on-site in future, preferably something related to her course of study. Olayemi however is enamoured with remote work, given engineering jobs are onsite. Nevertheless, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of working onsite. “It’s like I’m in the middle,” he says, laughing.

Remote work is here to stay for the foreseeable future. However, it remains to be seen just how quickly Nigerians can navigate the pros and cons that it bears.