Your mental health, peace and career (I) – Our Security, Our Peace By Prof. O.E Bassey

It’s so easy to get preoccupied with the rigours and demands of our jobs that we often neglect our mental health to the detriment of the very job we are all about protecting. Very few recognise the intricate connection between mental health, inner peace, and professional success. The truth is that while the pursuit of career goals and growth is important, neglecting one’s mental health often comes with severe results that could deter such an aimed trajectory.

It has been researched that neglected mental health can lead to incessant burnout and decreased productivity which ultimately hinder long-term success for careerists and even business owners. Therefore, finding a balance between nurturing your mental well-being and pursuing your career and business ambitions is a skill every professional in their field must imbibe.

Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being which comprise our mental health holds a lot of influence on how productive we are on a daily and long-term basis. Perhaps you are able to manage on the first day, the thought of a loved one on a sick bed dying. You bottle up the anxiety from the gloomy verdict of the doctor, act as though all is fine and show up at work. You do that for the next three days, but deep inside you, there is a raging war as you keep resisting the full expression of your emotions as regards their health circumstances. It is only a matter of time before it starts affecting your job and worst-case scenario, leads to a breakdown. What about being constantly abused at home by an abusive partner who has bitten hard into your self-esteem that you no longer find yourself worthy of who you should be as a person? You are being called all sorts of unprintable names that you don’t know when you start believing them. You find out that your self-confidence is gone such that at meetings, you no longer contribute as you used to. When attending to clients, you are shabby, often forgetting details that matter to delivering an impeccable job. Your appearance suddenly starts looking sloppy as against how dapper you used to come to the office. This is how very influential mental health can be to the results of our daily activities.

A healthy mind is the fertilizer for creativity, problem-solving, discipline – all of which are needed traits for professionalism that makes you invaluable in your workspace. So it is a no-brainer the priority of a strong mental health in the pursuit of career success.

How to achieve mental health in your career:

Set Boundaries: A lot of people don’t respect the concept of boundaries, especially as it has to do with their mental health. Some things need to stay at work and should not interfere with your needed headspace at home. You need to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life for the sole purpose of preventing burnout. This you do by being deliberate in dedicating time for relaxation, hobbies, and quality time with loved ones, and ensuring that nothing that has to do with work interferes with these moments.

Practice Self-Care: You know why self-care is so important, it is because it nourishes your mind, body, and soul. Now imagine an individual with consistent nourishment of their mind, soul, and body, there is no holding back such a person from massive productivity. Whether it’s exercising, reading, or simply taking a walk in nature, find activities that rejuvenate you – they help with nurturing your body, soul and mind. Very important.

Seek Support: Yes! You cannot achieve mental health all on your own. Therefore, cultivate the habit of reaching out for support when needed. Whether it’s through therapy, support groups, or confiding in trusted friends or family members, seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Always remember that!

Mindful Practices: Mindfulness. Some people live a very fast-paced life that the last time they ever took a deep breath and feel their environment without thinking about anything: just them and nature must be back in primary school. We need to bring back the culture of mindfulness to the every day of our lives. We should make it a duty to dedicate specific hours for meditation or deep breathing exercises. This has been proven to be helpful in significantly reducing stress and promoting mental clarity.

Professional Development: These tips won’t end without an encouragement to invest in attending workshops or seminars that further expand the knowledge of how you could improve your mental health as well as buying and reading books on the subject. Like your physical health, your mental health is as important, and you must commit both financially and physically to your development in this regard. It is health. It is life.

Romans 8:6: For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace

Meanwhile, I am delighted to inform you that come October, 1, 2024, we at NISSI Safety Management Institute: An Institute famous for Peace Leadership will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary.

To this end is our campaign to spread the education of peace leadership to both the old as young, women and children in various places from corporate organisations, to political organizations, worship centers, educational institutions, markets and communities.

It is in our belief that the more educated the people are in respect to peace leadership, the more peaceful our country will become.

So this is a call-to-action, to hop on our Peace campaign train, to arm yourself, your friends, your colleagues, your employees, your congregation with contemporary peace leadership knowledge that makes for a happier and more fulfilled life, personally and collectively.

Kindly call or send a message on Whatsapp to +2347065828892, to be a beneficiary of this.

Prof. Ofonime Emmanuel Bassey is a Leadership, Conflict, Peace and Security Management Coach with decades of experience in the practice and promotion of Law Enforcement, Peace and Security through the Nigeria Police and the United Nations.

He has served and interacted at the top level management of the Nigeria Police as well as internationally as a United Nation’s Monitor/Mentor in Kosovo, Europe.

Ofonime is a certified United Nation’s Trainer, and currently a Professor of Leadership, Peace and Conflict Resolution with ICOF University, USA/Zambia and a Professor of Peace Education with Charismatic International University, Cameroon.

With his marks well-established in Peace Leadership both in Nigeria and Africa, he is the President, NISSI Safety Management Institute: An Institute famous for Peace Leadership.

Presently, he is spearheading a campaign tagged “The Next Peace Leaders”, a campaign that is billed to run from 2022-2030 with a target of training 37,000 young peace leaders.

For leadership, conflict, peace and security consultations and trainings, reach him via:

Facebook: Dr. O.E Bassey

LinkedIn: Dr. O.E Bassey

X: Dr. O.E Bassey

WhatsApp: +2347065828892

Mail: emmanuelbassey@gmail.com