Taking his turn on the Citi FM/Citi TV‘s Effective Living Series, the Head of Department of Psychiatry of the University of Ghana, Medical School, Dr. Delali Fiagbe, has tabled some six key points in managing your mental health.

According to Dr. Fiagbe, not managing your mental health properly can result in stress.

People are likely to burn out if there is no escape. There are various manifestations of stress, right from what you eat, interactions with people, wife, kids, work, partners and even spiritual life of going back to back watch-nights can all give some level of stress.

Speaking to Bernard Avle on the Effective Living Series, Dr. Fiagbe gave the following advice:

Have good sleep: Sleeping between seven and eight hours helps. In case there’s a deficit in sleep, the body has that arrangement to deal with stress.

Eat good foods: There are some kinds of foods which are very good at releasing stress. Those food release dopamine and some other neurotransmitter cells in the brain. The process of eating is de-stressing, but must be within a certain limit. Take time to eat and eat properly, eating together with the family can also de-stress.

Stick to your religion:  It can be a stressor or de-stresser. You can quote some of the scriptures from the Bible to help de-stress. You can take a cue from David when he de-stressed himself in the Bible.

Listen to good music:  You can relive memories through music. Playing some songs bring good memories, and it really helps in releasing stress.

Imagine beautiful places/sites: Try to imagine beautiful places you wish to visit or have visited. Try to reflect on beautiful things you have done before. It’s a potent way of de-stressing one’s self.

Take in drinks: Try to take some drinks to relax during the weekends. Don’t take hard substances or liquor, as they may affect you in the long run.