Living and working in Nigeria, especially in today’s economic reality can be so exhausting and stressful that sometimes we forget to take care of our bodies. Unbeknown to many, neglecting simple yet important acts of self-care like stress management tips can pose serious mental or physical problems to our bodies.
What is stress?
Stress is a common human body reaction that affects both kids and adults. For kids, it can be the changing environment or problems with friends or exam tensions in school. For adults, it can be frustration at work or a lack of monetary power to handle certain responsibilities.
The truth is, our body is built to experience and respond to stress, that is, when in certain situations like being under pressure, overwhelmed or threatened. Our body reacts physically and mentally to these indications so we can address and solve them. Studies have revealed that a small amount of stress can motivate us to carry out certain tasks like finishing our office tasks or preparing for exams by sharpening our senses and giving us a sense of urgency, but when it becomes too much, it can negatively impact our moods, thereby affecting our mental health and performances.
How does stress affect us?
Chronic stress can affect our body in a certain number of ways. For example, when we find ourselves in a tense situation or under enormous pressure, our brain releases stress hormones. However, this can quickly escalate and affect our respiratory and cardiovascular systems if it becomes too much and regular. In this type of scenario, we breathe faster to regulate and distribute oxygen-rich blood to our body. People with breathing problems like asthma or emphysema can find it harder to breathe in such situations due to stress levels.
Also when under stress, our heart pumps faster due to the stress hormones causing blood vessels to divert more blood to the muscles. However, this also raises blood pressure and can lead to strokes or heart attacks if it happens frequently.
Stress can also affect our digestive system because when under stress, our liver produces glucose (extra blood sugar) to boost our body to take action. But when experiencing chronic stress, our liver won’t be able to keep up with the pumping of extra blood sugar and may increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
The surge of these stress hormones including fast breathing and increased heart rate in a tense situation can also upset our digestive system which can result in heartburn or acid reflux because of an increase in stomach acid during stress occurrences. Stress, according to a study, also affects the way food operates in our body and can lead to diarrhea, constipation, and likely nausea, vomiting, or stomachache.
According to a study, stress can affect sexuality and the reproduction system in both males and females. If the stress lingers too much in a male, this can result in a testosterone level drop which is likely to affect sperm reproduction. And further causing erectile dysfunction or impotence. For females, stress can affect their menstrual cycle leading to irregular, heavier, or more painful periods. It can also amplify the physical symptoms of menopause in older women.
What are the signs of stress?
Stress in kids and adults in Nigeria can arise from many situations— work, family affairs, education, business and personal relationships. While stress in adults is often related to work, kids are mostly from personal relationships and threatening situations. These include:
•Changes in their body system, eg Puberty
•Unsafe environments and domestic abuse
•Moving away from friends and problems adapting to new environments
•Socialisation problems
•Demise of loved ones
•Too much pressure and demand in school or workplace
How to pay attention to stress signs in Nigeria.
Stresses in both kids and adults have physical and emotional symptoms. Watch out for these signs in you or your friends to understand and recognize the symptoms of chronic stress before it becomes dangerous to your health.
•Shallow breathing and excessive sweating
•Excessive weight gain or weight loss
• Nausea and digestion problems
•Frequent irritability and withdrawal from friends and family
•Frequent dizziness and tiredness
• Overthinking or having difficulties concentrating.
• Headaches and chest pains
• High blood pressure
•Weak immune system
• Lack of desire for sexual activities
•Depression and Sadness
•Panic attacks
6 Techniques to Manage Stress in Nigeria
Acknowledge your stress: the first thing to do when you realize you’re stressed is to acknowledge the fact and not try to pin it on any hypothetical situation. Speak to your friends and families about what you’re going through and don’t try to keep it to yourself. When you acknowledge it, this will make it easier for you to know the causes of your stress and the next step to take in taking care of your body.
Exercise: anytime you feel like you’re stressed physically or emotionally. Let’s say you’re having difficulties concentrating on a certain task. Simple exercise tricks like taking a walk, and hitting push-ups can boost your mood and regulate your body.
Eat Healthy: a balanced diet and good nutrition are crucial to managing stress because it equip our body with extra energy to handle stressful situations. This article also ascertains our body handles stress better when we eat healthy for which a good diet is important. However, you should avoid always turning to food whenever you’re stressed because it can complicate things when too much. According to Health, eating foods like Fatty Fish, Beans Lentils, Apples, and Bananas can help reduce stress. However, maintaining a balanced diet is the key.
Practice Meditation: meditation activities like Yoga, breathing exercises, and mindfulness are helpful in stressful situations. You just sit back, relax your mind, feel your inner self and focus on the moment. This will improve your mood and make you more relaxed, calm, and composed for whatever task you have ahead.
Time management: managing your time and learning to say no to extra responsibilities is a good way to relieve yourself of stressful situations because sometimes the work isn’t always worth it if it has to take a toll on your health. Learn to say no and manage your time according to your health.
Listen to music: Studies have proven that listening to music helps the brain relieve stress by triggering biochemical stress reducers. This can be particularly helpful when you’re feeling down or overwhelmed. Log into your music app, search for your favorite artist or playlist, and get lost in the music, because sometimes that’s all you need to take the stress away.
Seek professional help: If you’ve tried every technique and can’t find a working solution, maybe it’s time to seek professional help from your doctor or therapist. Don’t use drugs or drink alcohol for copium because it’ll only make things worse. Pay them a visit and explain your situation as they can offer valuable advice, good listening and prescribe useful medication to help your situation.
Conclusion
Going through stress in Nigeria can be challenging and overwhelming, however acknowledging your situation and practicing stress management techniques can be pivotal in taking good care of your body and sanity.
