48 •
The Lion King
• October - December 2016
Health
H
ealthy eating is more than the food on your plate—it is also about how
you think about food. It is important to slow down and think about food
as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between
meetings or on the way to pick up the kids or dash down to the office.
By Judith Umunna
OVERCOMING DEPRESSION TO
BECOME A BETTER PERSON
I remember a tale of a friend whose
supervisor asked why she missed work
the previous day and she responded
that she was depressed. The man
burst out in laughter at the sheer ludi-
crousness of such an excuse. Who
misses work just because he/she is
depressed!!! Most times, when we talk
about depression, we always assume
it’s a ‘white man’ or ‘ajebo’ (spoilt
rich kid) sickness or that whoever is
affected just likes attention. However
depression is very real and it is not
something you can just snap out of.
What is depression?
Depression is a person’s reaction to
an event or experience that interferes
with healthy functioning. A recent arti-
cle from Forbes confirmed that more
millennials are suffering from depres-
sion, anxiety or some other form of
mood disorder than ever before.
Depression can affect anyone of
any age for any number of reasons.
Causes may include genetics, chang-
es in hormone levels, certain medical
conditions, stress, grief or difficult life
circumstances.
Stress at work is also one of the major
causes of depression these days. A
depressed colleague may exhibit
decreased productivity, irritability,
absenteeism, low energy, withdrawal
and possibly even anger and anxiety,
so employers need to understand that
by addressing depression, their organ-
isations can increase the bottom line
and decrease many everyday prob-
lems such as tardiness, co-worker con-
flict, customer complaints etc.
How to deal with Depression:
Recovering from depression requires
action, which can be difficult and
draw upon whatever resources you
have. However, here are a few things
you can try:
Find God.
The Bible says in Psalm46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, An
ever present Help in trouble” and in 2
Corinthians 1:4 that God comforts us in
all our troubles. God wants to comfort
and restore you to a life of joy so let
him be your counsellor.
Find what you love.
Get a hobby...
When I was a child, my favourite
hobby was reading the encyclopae-
dia, then I’d speak such big words
that no one could understand (I know,
Geek much!) but while self-discovery
is good, there’s no greater happiness
than shared happiness. Which leads to
my third point;
Find Friends.
Reach out and stay con-
nected to supportive people, keep
social activities even if you don’t feel
like it.
Find ways to support others.
The con-
cluding part of 2 Corinthians 1:4 says...
So that we can comfort those in any
trouble with the comfort we ourselves
receive from God. Making others
happy will make you happy.
Be Active.
Try to move around dur-
ing the day and eat a healthy mood
boosting diet. Don’t skip meals; eat
less sugar and more Vitamin B.
Find Positivity.
Challenge negative
thinking. Remove anger.
Finally, remember that you can beat
depression to become a better person
and even discover new things about
yourself. Life has taught me that it is
not being perfect or surrounding your-
self with perfection that creates joy, it
is the perfect balance between GOD
+ Family + Friends + Work + Play.
