Managing the Storm After The Fire: Mental Health Tips After Lagos Island Fires

We hear of fire outbreaks in Lagos Island every now and then but none has ever hurt as much as the recent one. This fire didn’t stop at swallowing shops, goods, and livelihoods, it also burned through dreams, aspirations, memories and sense of security as it claimed the lives of people.

And for traders, business owners, colleagues, relatives and even onlookers (including those of us online) who watched helplessly the fire added a new weight on the mind. 

For many, it also stirred up fear, anxiety, restlessness, and the grief and trauma doesn’t stop when the fire is put out.

Healing, both financial and emotional, is now just as important as rebuilding walls, shops and resuming the hustle.

If you’re one of those whose sleep is different now, whose coffee doesn’t taste the same, or whose heart races when the generator hums too close, then this is for you. 

Here are solid ways to recover, heal, and protect your mental peace without expensive therapy (though that helps too)

Talk It Out 

You might not agree but speaking about what you saw, lost, or felt matters. 

Find someone you trust — whether it’s a friend or family member, neighbour, religious leader or prayer group, fellow trader or colleague and share your story, don’t bottle it up. 

Sometimes, speaking the fear aloud reduces its power. 

We Nigerians are communal by nature; carrying the load together makes it lighter.

Limit the News 

Yes, you want updates, but constant replays of the trauma on social media will only reopen wounds. 

Give yourself permission to step away from the news sometimes.

Ground Yourself With Small Acts of Control

You know what they say about small acts of control and relief. So when everything feels uncertain, do tiny things you can control like:

Clean up/rearrange a corner of your house or work desk. Restock your shop with small affordable items.

Make a to-do list with three easy tasks. These small wins help remind your brain: “I’m still in charge of some things.”

 Breathe, Move, Rest

After disruption, routines anchor us. Wake up, eat, rest, work, sleep around the same times. 

Take deep breathing exercises: inhale for count of 4, hold 2, exhale for 6. A few minutes of these can calm a racing heart.

Stretch/Walk around your room. Do some light exercises. The body remembers trauma — movement helps unfreeze that memory.

Create a small comfort routine: a quiet cup of tea, lighting a candle, putting on music you love before bed. 

Sleep hygiene is real — Lights off, phone down, short calming prayers/music before bed. Your body heals your mind.

Humour and Faith Are Medicine Too

We Nigerians are famous for laughter in the storm. 

Humour, memes, jokes, playful banter  doesn’t minimize pain; it gives you breathing space. And faith, prayers, spiritual songs, church or mosque routines, many find that deeply calming.

So use humour and faith. Laugh where you can, pray when you need to. Both release tension and restore hope.

Mind Your Food & Drinks

When stressed, it’s easy to depend on energy drinks, beer, or endless coffee but these only increase anxiety. 

Eat balanced meals — even if it’s just rice and beans with vegetables. Your body needs fuel to fight stress.

RELATED: 7 Nigerian Foods & Spices That Heal from Within

Manage Financial Stress Step by Step

You can do this by breaking down your business recovery into small goals (e.g., restock ₦20k goods first before thinking of ₦2m capital).

You could also join cooperative societies/microfinance groups for support and stay on the lookout for relief funds or government recovery programs if announced.

Remember: you don’t have to bounce back all at once.

Use Your Support Network 

Don’t isolate yourself. Isolation makes stress worse; connection heals. 

Stay connected with people. Call, text, visit someone or let them visit you. Share a laugh, a memory, a cry. 

Community matters. That sense of belonging can pull you out of that dark hole.

Express It 

Finding other ways to express what you feel are easy ways to get release. If you don’t want to talk about it, journal, pray, create. 

Write down your thoughts, sketch what you felt, paint, dance, sing — expression helps. Even if it’s just to scribble in a notebook or make voice notes you may never share.

Getting the trauma out helps.

Seek Professional Help if It Persists

If the anxiety, sadness, or nightmares persist for weeks or months, please seek professional help. 

Therapy is not weakness; it’s wisdom. Psychologists, counsellors, or mental health clinics can support you.

The fire may have scarred lives, buildings and pockets, but it doesn’t have to scar your mind permanently. 

Healing takes time, but every step from breathing deeply, laughing with friends, praying in community, to rebuilding with small wins matters. 

Be patient with yourself, remember: you survived. That itself is victory. 

The goal now isn’t to “move on” overnight, but to move forward, one small, hopeful step at a time. Because true strength isn’t just built by what you survive — it’s built by how you live after.

If you found this article helpful, share it with a loved one, colleague or neighbour. You never know, you might be saving a life.