Mental health challenges are practically unavoidable in Lagos, a city characterized by the demanding nature of work, bustling personal relationships, and the fast-paced lifestyle. It’s not uncommon for working class Lagosians to leave their home at 4 am to beat the notorious Lagos gridlock. The pressure to succeed and cope with cost of living is evident in multiple side hustles, entrepreneurial ventures and frenetic pace of Lagos markets, roads and other public facilities.
Ikeja Record’s bi-weekly Twitter space on Tuesday offered practical tips and insights on managing your mental health in Lagos.
The conversation was led by The Record’s co-editor, Abel Adekunle and featured guest speaker Nkenchiyere Moloa, a pharmacist and health coach.
Dr. Nkechiyere argued that it’s easy to develop mental health symptoms like mood swings, social withdrawal, sleep disorders, changes in weight, loss of interest in enjoyable activities, constant fatigue, lack of concentration, physical pain, and even suicidal thoughts in a city like Lagos that never sleeps.
To address this, the expert stressed the importance of establishing a workable routine that includes a regulated time for work, relaxation, and sleep. For those that return late from their workplace , she suggests making food in bulk on the weekends and storing it in the fridge as part of ways to have a stress-free routine.
“You will have to look at your situation and find a way to make it work, ” she advised.
Other practical coping strategies she offered include, setting work-life boundaries, breaking activities to smaller tasks, limiting screen time, practicing meditation and mindfulness, building support systems, prioritizing exercise, expressing gratitude constantly and “saying no”.
On seeking treatment for mental health, she recommended counseling for mild cases and cognitive-behavioral therapy for managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For more severe cases, there may be the necessity of medication from a mental health expert. That, she said, could include taking antidepressants or Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) to stabilize and alleviate underlying conditions.
‘Men need self-care too’
The traditional image of masculinity often emphasizes strength, hiding negative emotions and putting others’ needs before your own. But what if you were told that embracing self-care is not only essential for your mental well-being, but also part of building strength?
That’s one of the key messages Dr. Nkenchiyere delivered during the online discussion. Self-care for men doesn’t have to be expensive retreats. “It’s about small, consistent actions you take to stay healthy and manage stress,” she explained.
“These can be as simple as 30 minutes of daily exercise at home, eating nutritious meals, getting enough sleep, taking work breaks, and relaxing alone without thinking about work or bills.”
Dealing with PMS and PDD
During the Q/A session, the dialogue veered into practical insights for managing mental health issues related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and postpartum depression (PPD).
Moloa shared that regular exercise, a balanced diet, stress reduction, and strong support systems are key in managing the symptoms of PMS.
For PPD, she stressed the importance of “Omugwo”, a Igbo term for the traditional custom of postpartum care facilitated by the mother of either of the couple. “The mother can take away the associated stress from her, she concluded.