Election times are stressful, mind your health

Ask everyone involved in the ongoing election campaigns, and they’d mince no words in telling you that their health has never been the same since they hit the road in their effort to convince the electorate to cast their votes for their party and candidates.

Those who have the financial means have their physicians in tow, so that their health indices could be monitored and appropriate treatment or counseling offered before things turn ugly.

Indeed, in order to prove his strength the other day, President Goodluck Jonathan carried about a 12-year-old girl during the Great Abuja March!

Of course, there isn’t much the average politician seeking election or reelection can do when it comes to

engaging the electorate if he mustn’t be seen as taking his people for granted. He must be on the move as the situation demands.

But then, experts are warning that too much stress can damage the health and expose you to other diseases. General Practitioner, Dr. Moses Ajayi says how you have been taking care of your health will determine how you fare under stress.

He notes that many people live on poor diet – a situation that puts the body in a state of physical stress and weakens the immune system. “A poor diet can mean making unhealthy food choices, not eating enough, or not eating on a normal schedule. This form of physical stress also decreases the ability to deal with emotional stress because not getting the right nutrition may affect the way the brain processes information,” he warns.

Ajayi says for politicians who have to travel from one place to the other, settling down to eat good food may be near-impossible if they don’t make conscious efforts to do so. He urges their aides to ensure that their principal take time to eat foods that are rich in all the necessary nutrients in order to have them regain their strength and stay in optimal health.

Fitness expert, Mr. Onyekachi Kalu, warns that not getting enough physical activity can put the body in a stressed state. “Physical activity has many benefits, including promoting a feeling of well-being,” Kalu notes; advising political office seekers to engage in indoor activities that doesn’t necessarily require them to visit the gym if they can’t.

“Such activities include dancing to your favourite song, walking around the home, doing jump jacks, push-ups, etc. All these activities help keep you healthy and strong,” Kalu counsels.

Ajayi urges politicians never to neglect their support system, and this include their spouses, aides and every other person that could ease the burden of their daily engagement and remind them of the need to rest, eat or take their medications where applicable.

“Almost everyone needs someone in their life that they can rely on when they are having a hard time. Having little or no support makes stressful situations even more difficult to deal with,” the physician says.

He also says having enough night rest after a hard day’s campaign is of the essence. “Getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night also helps a person to cope with stress,” Ajayi advises.

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress

According to online portal, helpguide.org, there are unhealthy ways of coping with stress. “These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run. Such unhealthy strategies include smoking, drinking too much, overeating or under-eating, zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer, withdrawing from friends, family, and activities, using pills or drugs to relax, sleeping too much, procrastinating, filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems, and taking out your stress on others by lashing out, angry outbursts, and physical violence,” the portal warns.

Healthy ways to relax and recharge

Experts recommend that in order to relax, go for a walk, spend time in nature or call a good friend. They also advocate sweating out tension with a good workout, writing in your journal, taking a long bath and lighting scented candles.

You can also savour a warm cup of coffee or tea, play with a pet if you own one, get a massage or curl up with a good book. Listening to music or watching a comedy is also part of the bargain.

Eat your way out of stress

A medical author, Dr. Melissa Conrad-Stöppler, notes that most people admit that when they are under stress, healthy eating habits can be difficult to maintain. She concludes that whether one is eating to fill an emotional need or grabbing fast food simply because there’s no time to prepare something healthy, a stressed-out lifestyle is rarely a healthy one.

Medical experts also warn that while campaigning for votes can give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction, the political field can also become a cause of stress and subsequent ill health if not well managed.

To burst stress, Netdoctor, an online publication, recommends the consumption of avocado peas, dark chocolates, broccoli, salmon, tuna, bananas, nuts, oranges, spinach, black tea, warm oatmeal, warm milk, whole-grain breakfast cereals, breads and pastas; and drinking water at regular intervals.

Webmd, another online publication, says a healthy diet can counter the impact of stress by shoring up your immune system and lowering blood pressure.

Nigeria needs healthy leaders for the task ahead. So, burst the campaign stress by eating right and de-stressing!