Chapter Thirty Six

The part where we rely on routine to keep sane...

Photo by Ahmed Zayan on Unsplash

Hey you,

How are things? It’s a little dark on my side, and I’m struggling to be the sunshine that friends, family, and colleagues depend on. I know I shouldn’t be letting the state of Nigeria’s economy get to me but I guess I’m a little sensitive these days. I don’t even have the appetite to eat well, that’s when I know shit is getting real. At moments like these, I’m thankful for my routine because I can just shift into autopilot and my life won’t fall apart. (at least on the outside)

What is my routine, you might be wondering? It’s the simple things; going for a long walk, cooking for the fam, reading, listening to music, watching Kdramas, working, drinking tea, watching TikToks, creating content for my personal pages, and doing my best to sleep as much as I can. I find that if I don’t obsess over the darkness, it even passes because something from the mundane things I keep doing will trigger the cheer again. This is why I always remind you to identify your multiple sources of pleasure because when you go through something heavy, those activities might be the only things that keep you a little sane. What do you usually do to spark joy?

---

Have you heard about FutureMe? It’s a website that lets you write a letter to yourself, and you get to send it to any future date you want, a birthday, in six months, a year, or even ten years. I recently received the letter I sent to myself last year and maybe it’s even the cause of my dark cloud because I had told myself to get some things done and they still weren’t completed. The next letters I sent are now more uplifting, I don’t want to pressure future me or disappoint past me. Also, the process is very therapeutic, I think you should try it.

Let’s Talk Books, Shall We?

I recently enjoyed a young adult novel by Sarah Dass, When The Vibe Is Right and I’m sharing the love. It’s an enemies-to-lovers story about two teenagers and it’s set in Trinidadian Carnival season. I know a lot of adult readers shy away from reading YA but I went to a single-sex Catholic boarding school, and I’m always fascinated by the dynamics of the different relationships and how teenagers express themselves freely in these books. Any misconduct was beaten out of me so I didn’t have the privilege to just be a teenager, you know? That’s why I enjoy YA so much, the kids are just being kids.

I had mentioned that I was going to share my favourite books of the half year but I don’t have the bandwidth to engage with that type of curation, you could follow or even better, add me as a friend on Storygraph, to see what I’ve been reading and what’s hot on my radar. Tasnim of

Reads & Reveries

recently shared her top books of the year so far and I added titles to my TBR because she has yet to steer me wrong. Have you read any title recently that makes you want to put it in the hands of everyone you know? Please, tell me.

What Are You Watching?

I’m still watching the three shows I mentioned in the last letter, The Revenant, King The Land & See You In My 19th Life. With the family, I watched Vagabond and as much as I enjoyed it, the ending was very annoying, now we’re watching Agency. It’s a show about a female executive finding her way through the cutthroat world of the male-dominated industry of advertising. I highly recommend it if you need a Kdrama with a strong female lead.

I hope that the next time I write to you, I’m off autopilot. Please remember to hydrate, eat well, sleep well, and poop well. Most importantly, don’t forget to give yourself the grace you always extend to others. You need it too.

---

If you love my content on any of the socials, please do consider supporting me by buying me a cup of tea (I’ve finally found a way non-Nigerian readers can contribute) or by giving me a shout-out on social media or in real life (prayers are fine too).

See you on the other side, Dearest.

XOXO