Managing Lagos Stress: Easy Stress Management Tips For A Better Life

For anyone who has held a job, dealing with work-related stress feels like a part of the deal one makes when accepting a position. Especially if one holds a key position within the organization. The pressure to meet deadlines, fulfill obligations, and achieve set goals can become overwhelming, putting one’s physical and mental health at risk.

Throw in the madness that is Lagos traffic in the mix and it becomes clearer why it feels as though everyone in Lagos is angry and ready to explode at any minute. Being the third most stressful country in the world to live in, Lagos has certain peculiarities that test even the strongest.

An average worker in Lagos has to daily gulp down a bitter cup of long traffic, vulgar bus drivers and conductors, desperate food vendors and fix-it-all drug peddlers and in some cases an overbearing and demanding boss. Even car owners who don’t use public transport are not spared as they have to leave home early enough to beat the traffic, but even this comes with certain dangers.

Undoubtedly, working generally is stressful, and the Lagos factor only adds another dimension to it, hence this article hopes to show you simple ways of dealing with stress on the road, at your office, or even in your personal life.

Stress Management Tips

Before delving into tips on how to effectively manage stress, you need to understand that there’s a limit to how much you can control. Focusing on variables within your sphere of influence and accepting the limits of your power is crucial to your success. To effectively deal with stress, make sure you are in control of your response to situations. After taking charge of your emotions and reactions you can also employ the following tips:

1.   Keep track of your stressors

The first step to solving a problem is identifying the root causes. Start by making notes for a week or two to track which situations cause you the most anxiety and how you deal with them. Keep a journal of your experiences, feelings, and observations about the environment, as well as the people and situations concerned, the environmental context, and your reactions. Taking notes can assist you in identifying patterns and elements that stress you out and your reactions to them.

2.   Set some boundaries

It’s easy to feel pressured to be accessible 24 hours a day in today’s digital world. Set some work-life balance boundaries for yourself. That could mean not surfing the web from home a lot or not taking calls when you should be resting. Although everyone has different preferences as to how much they combine their work and home lives, establishing some firm boundaries between these realms can help to reduce the possibility of job strain and the stress that comes with it.

3.   Recharge and Recover

We need time to recharge and revert to our pre-stress level of productivity to avoid the harmful consequences of prolonged stress and burnout. This recovery process necessitates “switching off” from work by spending time not doing work-related activities or thinking about work.

That’s why it’s critical to disconnect regularly, in a way that corresponds to your requirements and preferences.

4.   Make the best of your vacation days

Take time off when possible, to relax and unwind so you can return to work feeling revitalized and prepared to give your all. Make the best of your weekend. Use that time to connect with family and loved ones.

5.   Sleep Early, Leave Early

One of the major causes of stress is the unforgiving Lagos traffic. The best way to deal with this type of stress is by avoiding it. Leave home early enough before traffic builds up and you get stuck. When returning in the evening leave work early enough before peak traffic periods if you can. Google Maps is your friend make use of it.

6.   Be Vocal

Personnel health has been linked to workplace productivity, so your manager has the incentive to foster a work environment that encourages employee well-being. Begin by engaging in an open dialogue with your boss. The goal here isn’t to compile a laundry list of grievances but rather to devise an effective plan for dealing with the stressors you’ve identified so you can operate at your best on the job.

While some elements of the blueprint may be intended to assist you to improve your abilities in areas such as managing time, others could include recognizing company wellness resources you can use, clarifying what is expected of you, obtaining resources necessary or assistance from coworkers and enhancing your job to incorporate more demanding or meaningful tasks.

7.   Music Therapy

Music is divine and it has a unique way of calming the nerves and putting you at ease. Some songs capture pleasant memories that bring a smile to our faces and warmth to our hearts. Fill your space with this type of music and you will see yourself coping better with the madness of day-to-day living.

Conclusion

Stress is unavoidable and as long as you have breath within you, life will often throw situations in your path that may push you to the edge. How we deal with these situations determines whether or not we succeed and fulfill our potential. So, exhale, use the aforementioned tips, and fly above stress.