Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) has tasked women to be attentive to their mental, emotional and physical health. This call was made during its Health Talk Clinic, themed, Mental Health Management, Emotional Intelligence and General Wellbeing in Lagos.
National Chairperson, SWAN, Nwamara Nnaji, said that having the right lifestyle reduces the risk of illness, while urging participants to embark on a daily practice of self care.
Psychiatrist and mental health advocate, Maymuna Kadiri, while speaking on mental health management said that a significant driver of mental illness is stress. She said stress is majorly caused by self, trauma, relationship, economy/financial, sickness, school and work, employer issues and difficult team or work environment.
According to her, research has shown that one in four individual would have a mental health illness in their life time and currently one in five Nigerians suffer depression.
Explaining these factors, she said, that sometimes people are the cause of their stressors because of peer pressure, negative self talks.
“Unresolved trauma makes you hurt people that didn’t hurt you.
Eight out of 10 women in psychiatric hospital today are there due to relationships. Sickness could be of a relative, child with special needs or others and unconducive work environment,” she said.
She stated that the first rule in managing mental health is self-care, which bothers on self-awareness, exercise, limited exposure to news and social media and boundary setting.
Behaivoural Control Specialist and Emotional Intelligence Expert, Olusola Olumide, said Emotional Intelligence is about being smart with emotions, adding that provides data one can use to identify and tame emotions. “Mental state of humans is not static as situations of life makes it fluctuate but one must strive to live above the benchmark.
He urged parents to acquire skills in raising their kids to curb suicidal tendencies in young people. “Each succeeding generation is more sophisticated but lacks the resilience of the previous generation.”
Former Head, Medical Services, Nigeria Shippers Council, Dr. Thomas Obanya, while advising women to incorporate exercise in their routine, said domestic work in the house doesn’t equal exercise. A life well lived should include exercise, meal pattern and when done well, fasting is the best way to detox.”
Due to the increase in suicide attempt, Committee Chairperson, Blessing Osakwe-Ogo, emphasised the importance of creating awareness on well-being.
