The Lagos State Employee Wellness Day (June 30) sheds light on the struggles that employees face at work. Stress and Burnout have been reported to lead to other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and sleep disturbances amongst others. Work-related stress can have overwhelming impacts on the work performance, daily functioning, and quality of life of employees.
There has also been a rise in reports of work-related anxiety and depression caused by physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. To address this concern, the Lagos State Ministry of Health has initiated the Employees’ Wellness Day to educate employees on the benefits of engaging in self-care to ensure optimal well-being.
The celebration of this day serves as a strategy to:
- Increase awareness on common mental distresses experienced at the workplace
- Build capacity on positive coping mechanisms and resiliency
- Encourage help-seeking behaviours
- Erase the attitudes and discrimination associated with receiving mental health services