By Emma Njoku
Experts have warned that stress has a detrimental effect on individuals generally and professionals in particular, but can be managed to ensure a healthy workforce.
They spoke at the Colours of Well-being, a flagship event of Citisquare Africa in Lagos, recently.
Themed: “The impact of burnout on women within the workforce: Challenges and solutions”, the event was structured to address burnout by offering a combination of relaxation, strategic networking, and investment opportunities.
Highlights of the event included wellness sessions, meditation workshops, SPA treatment, panel discussion, networking sessions, exquisite culinary experience, Salsa dance, exhibitions and comedy sessions by Otolorin Kehinde Peter, popularly known as Kenny Blaq.
Major exhibitors at the event were Unilever, Medbury, Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Utazi Restaurant, and Homeland.
The headline sponsor was Nutrify Nigeria, a member of the Tolaram Group, while Digitxplus was the event media partner. Other sponsors were Bigi, Hydrate, Bertha juice and Nigerian Breweries Plc.
Managing Director of UAC, Oluyemi Oloyede, said the society put the woman under undue pressure because of the demand on her time-first at work, where she is the Chief Executive or whatever role she plays, and at home, where she is a wife and a mother.
He said even though society expects the woman to be perfect, she would need to recognise her own strength to know when to seek help from the family or a therapist to cope with the demands on her.
Corroborating Oloyode, group managing director, Medbury Healthcare, Dr. Itunu Akinware, how she trivialised the issue of burnout for many years until it happened to her, which led her to visit a wellness centre. TV host, actor and producer, Stephnie Coker Aderinokun, said prioritising and learning when to say no is one way to deal with burnout. Founder and Chief Executive, The Dew Centre, Omon Anenih, also said burnout affects people differently. She noted that no two people experience it at the same time and to the same degree, hence, everybody has to understand the highest degree of their pressure point.
Other members of the panel were Yinka Adebayo, Group Executive Director, OMG- WeCA and Sherese Ijewere, a nutrition expert.
In her keynote presentation, the Executive Director, Institute of Counselling in Nigeria, Dr. Tolu Oko-Igaire, linked burnout to mental health.
Speaking on the title: “Promoting positive mental health through purposeful living: A strategy for overcoming burnout in the workplace”, Dr. Tolu listed factors to deal with burnout, including letting out steam, drinking lots of water, exercises and self-awareness.
Convener of Colours of Well-being, and Founder, Citisquare Africa, Dr Uche Nnama, said the need to prioritise one’s well being necessitated the event.
Colours of Well-being, is a flagship event of Citisquare Africa, an innovative technology driven company, that aims to transform the socio-economic landscape of Africa by combining real estate investments and vacation experiences with practical solutions to combat workplace burnout.
One of the goals of the organisation is to promote United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 3- Good Health and Well-being, SDG 5 – Gender Equality and SDG 8- Decent Work and Economic Growth.
The event attracted dignitaries and High Networth Individuals (HNI) from different works of life. Among them were Ayo Animashaun CEO, HIP TV, Odunayo Sanya, CEO MTN Foundation, Ada Eme Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria 2022, Gboyega Akosile, Senior Special assistant (Media) to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
Others were Ayodele Olojede of Wema Bank and Dr Nneka Okekearu, Director Enterprise Development Centre (Pan Atlantic University, Lagos).