Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri 
We often speak about health as though it suddenly fails us. One day we are fine; the next, we are not. But holistic wellbeing rarely collapses overnight. It erodes quietly, shaped by daily pressures, unexamined habits, and unmet emotional needs.
Take the story of Ms B.
Ms B is 32, single, ambitious, and newly employed in a big city. To advance her career, she relocates from home to be closer to work. On the surface, everything looks right: independence, opportunity, progress.
Six months later, the cracks appear.
She feels persistently low. Motivation fades. Loneliness sets in, despite professional success. Evenings become heavy. Alcohol becomes a coping tool rather than a pleasure. Her productivity declines, her appraisal suffers, and the job she uprooted her life for is suddenly at risk.
Ms B cannot explain what is wrong. And that is precisely the problem.
Her experience reminds us that wellbeing is not simply the absence of disease. It is the balance between emotional, mental, physical, social, and environmental health. When one pillar weakens, the others compensate until they can no longer do so.
This is where risk factors matter.
Risk factors are not prophecies of illness. They are warning signs. Conditions that increase the likelihood of physical, emotional, or mental breakdown when left unaddressed. Importantly, they rarely operate in isolation.
Behavioral risk factors such as excessive alcohol use, smoking, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, unsafe sexual practices, and neglect of preventive care are often dismissed as lifestyle choices. But behaviour is frequently a response to stress, isolation, or emotional neglect. In Ms B’s case, alcohol was not the illness. It was the signal.
Biomedical risk factors add another layer. High blood pressure, obesity, abnormal cholesterol, or impaired glucose tolerance are influenced not only by genetics, but by sleep, stress, diet, movement, and emotional regulation. Chronic stress alone can quietly disrupt the body’s systems long before a diagnosis is made.
Environmental risk factors are equally powerful. Relocation, social isolation, financial strain, long working hours, unsafe housing, and lack of community support all take a measurable toll on wellbeing. Social disconnection, in particular, is now recognised as a major risk factor for both mental and physical illness.
Genetic risk factors are real, but they are not destiny. While some conditions are inherited, many emerge from the interaction between genetic vulnerability and life circumstances. Environment, stress, trauma, and lifestyle often determine whether a predisposition becomes a condition.
Demographic factors such as age, sex, and population group also influence risk. However, these factors alone do not dictate outcomes. How people live, cope, and connect matters just as much.
At the centre of holistic wellbeing lies emotional wellness, the most neglected pillar of health.
Emotional wellness is the ability to recognise, understand, and manage emotions in the face of challenge and change. When emotional health is compromised, relationships suffer. Conflict escalates. Communication breaks down.
In the workplace, emotional distress often masquerades as poor performance. Decision-making falters. Motivation drops. What appears to be incompetence is frequently emotional exhaustion.
Mental health and emotional health are inseparable. Anxiety, depression, burnout, and substance misuse often arise not from weakness, but from prolonged emotional neglect and unrelenting pressure.
Holistic wellbeing requires a shift in perspective.
From crisis response to risk awareness.
From denial to curiosity.
From asking “What is wrong with me?” to asking “What am I exposed to, and what support am I missing?”
Knowing your risk factors is not about fear. It is about agency.
Ms B did not fail. Her system was overwhelmed.
And so are many people who appear successful, productive, and functional on the outside.
Your health is not an event. It is a pattern.
And patterns can be changed when they are recognized early enough.
If this story feels familiar, do not wait for a breakdown to justify care. Pay attention to the signals, emotional exhaustion, isolation, unhealthy coping habits, declining performance, persistent stress. These are not personal flaws; they are invitations to intervene.
Schedule that medical check-up. Rebuild connection. Seek professional support. Redefine success to include rest, relationships, and emotional safety.
In a world obsessed with productivity and appearances, choosing to protect your wellbeing is not indulgence, it is responsibility.
Your health is your most valuable asset. Treat it that way.
Dr. MAYMUNAH YUSUF KADIRI (aka DR. MAY) popularly referred to as “The Celebrity Shrink,” is a multiple award winning Mental Health Physician, Advocate & Coach. She is the convener of “The Mental Health Conference” and the Medical Director and Psychiatrist-In-Chief at Pinnacle Medical Services, Dr. Kadiri is a dynamic Consultant Neuro-Psychiatrist and a Fellow of the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych) with almost 20 years’ experience as a practicing Physician.