Stress is a normal part of life. It’s how the body responds to pressure, change, or perceived threats. In small doses, stress can be motivating. But when stress becomes constant or overwhelming, it can quietly affect both mental and physical health. Understanding stress is the first step toward managing it more healthily.

What Stress Really Is

Stress is not a sign of weakness or inability to cope. It is a biological response involving the nervous system, hormones, and emotional processing. When stressors persist without adequate recovery, the body remains in a heightened state of alert, leading to exhaustion over time.

Common Causes of Stress

Stress can come from many sources, including:

• Work and financial pressure

• Caregiving and family responsibilities
  
  

• Ongoing uncertainty or instability
  
  

• Emotional labour and unresolved trauma

Often, it is the accumulation of multiple stressors, rather than one major event, that becomes overwhelming.

Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Stress affects people differently, but common signs include:

• Constant fatigue or restlessness
  
  

• Irritability or emotional sensitivity
  
  

• Headaches, muscle tension, or stomach issues
  
  

• Difficulty sleeping or concentrating

When these symptoms persist, they may indicate chronic stress.

Healthy Ways to Cope With Stress

Coping with stress does not mean eliminating all pressure. It means supporting your body and mind through it.

Helpful strategies include:

• Setting realistic boundaries
  
  

• Prioritising rest and recovery
  
  

• Talking about emotional load
  
  

• Gentle movement and grounding practices
  
  

• Seeking professional or community support

Final Reflection

Stress is not something to ignore or endure indefinitely. It is information, a signal that something needs care. By responding to stress early and compassionately, we create space for balance, resilience, and long-term wellbeing.

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. While it’s often associated with extreme fatigue or breakdown, burnout usually begins long before those visible signs appear.

Understanding burnout early can help prevent serious mental and physical health consequences.

What Burnout Really Looks Like

Burnout doesn’t always stop you from functioning. Many people experiencing early burnout continue to work, care for others, and meet expectations, but at a growing personal cost.

Early signs may include:

• Feeling constantly tired, even after rest
  
  

• Increased irritability or emotional detachment
  
  

• Difficulty concentrating or staying motivated
  
  

• Physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues, or frequent illness
  
  

These signs are often mistaken for temporary stress or personal weakness.

Why Burnout Is Often Overlooked

Burnout thrives in environments that normalise overwork and undervalue rest. Cultural narratives that glorify productivity make it difficult to recognise when stress has become harmful.

People may ignore warning signs because:

• They feel pressure to appear resilient
  
  

• They fear being seen as incapable
  
  

• They believe things will “settle down soon”
  
  

Unfortunately, burnout rarely resolves on its own without intentional change.

The Impact of Ignoring Burnout

When burnout goes unaddressed, it can lead to:

• Anxiety and depressive symptoms
  
  

• Sleep disturbances
  
  

• Weakened immune system
  
  

• Disengagement from work and relationships
  
  

Over time, burnout can significantly reduce quality of life and overall wellbeing.

How to Address Burnout Early

Early intervention focuses on restoring balance and capacity. Helpful steps include:

• Setting clearer boundaries around work and rest
  
  

• Reducing chronic overload where possible
  
  

• Seeking social or professional support
  
  

• Prioritising sleep, nutrition, and recovery
  
  

Addressing burnout early is not a sign of failure, it is an act of self-preservation.

Final Thoughts

Burnout does not happen because people are weak or unmotivated. It happens when demands consistently exceed capacity.

By recognising burnout early, individuals and organisations can move from survival to sustainability - protecting mental health before reaching crisis.

At MHRPH, we believe that wellbeing is foundational to healthy communities, effective work, and long-term impact.

The start of a new year is often portrayed as a moment of excitement, clarity, and motivation. But for many people, January brings emotional pressure rather than renewal. Instead of feeling inspired, they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck - and wonder why.

This experience is more common than we admit.

Why January Feels So Heavy

January carries symbolic weight. It represents beginnings, change, and opportunity, but also expectation. Society often treats it as the “correct” time to fix habits, pursue goals, and redefine identity.

When personal capacity doesn’t match these expectations, distress can follow.

Common contributors include:

• Financial strain after the holidays
  
  

• Ongoing economic pressures such as inflation or subsidy changes
  
  

• Burnout from the previous year
  
  

• Grief, loss, or unresolved trauma
  
  

• Mental health challenges that don’t reset with the calendar
  
  

Rather than feeling like a fresh start, January can feel like pressure to perform recovery on demand.

The Psychological Impact of “New Year, New You”

The popular “New Year, New You” narrative can unintentionally harm mental wellbeing. It suggests that staying the same - or moving slowly - is a failure.

This mindset often leads to:

• Increased self-criticism
  
  

• Anxiety around productivity and achievement
  
  

• Comparison and feelings of inadequacy
  
  

• Guilt for resting or needing support
  
  

Mental health growth is not linear, and it rarely aligns with social timelines.

Why Comparison Intensifies at the Start of the Year

January amplifies visibility. People share plans, milestones, and ambitions publicly. While this can be motivating, it can also distort reality. Comparing your behind-the-scenes struggles with someone else’s highlight reel is emotionally costly, especially when you’re already depleted.

Reframing January: A Mental Health–Informed Approach

Instead of treating January as a deadline for transformation, it can be reframed as a period of adjustment.

Helpful alternatives include:

• Setting intentions instead of strict resolutions
  
  

• Focusing on stabilising routines before expanding goals
  
  

• Allowing rest to be productive
  
  

• Checking in with emotional capacity regularly
  
  

Progress rooted in self-compassion is more sustainable than progress driven by pressure.

Final Reflection

If January feels mentally heavy, it doesn’t mean you lack discipline or motivation. It means you’re human, navigating real circumstances, real emotions, and real limits.

The new year doesn’t demand perfection.
It invites presence, honesty, and care.

And sometimes, the most meaningful way to begin is simply to continue, gently.

Every year on October 10, the world comes together to observe World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness and mobilizing action for mental well-being. This year’s theme, “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” highlights a truth often overlooked in humanitarian response - that mental health support is just as critical as physical aid. 

The Overlooked Crisis

When disasters strike - whether through conflict, floods, displacement, or terrorist attacks - the focus is usually on rebuilding homes, roads, and livelihoods. Yet the emotional and psychological wounds left behind often go untreated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in five people living in conflict or emergency settings experiences mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Women, children, and first responders are especially vulnerable, often juggling survival with unprocessed trauma and grief.

However, mental health care remains underfunded and underprioritized in most emergency response efforts. Across Africa, and especially in Nigeria, these challenges are compounded by stigma, lack of trained professionals, and limited infrastructure.

Nigeria’s Reality: When Healing Isn’t Accessible

In states like Plateau, Benue, and Borno, residents continue to live with the ripple effects of violence, loss, and displacement. For thousands of survivors in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, trauma is not an isolated event - it’s a daily lived experience.

A 2023 report by the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform highlighted long-term psychological effects among conflict-affected individuals in Northern Nigeria, including persistent anxiety, nightmares, and social withdrawal. Similarly, Médecins Sans Frontières’ 2022 International Activity Report underscored the mental health impact of prolonged insecurity, noting that emotional distress is widespread among displaced women and children - yet very few have access to psychological care.

At MHRPH, our own community assessments reveal similar patterns. During a 2024 field survey at an IDP camp in Mangu, Plateau State, many displaced persons reported symptoms consistent with PTSD - including flashbacks, insomnia, and emotional detachment - but few recognized these as mental health concerns. Denial, fear of stigma, and lack of resources continue to keep people from seeking help.

Why Access Matters

Access to mental health services can mean the difference between recovery and long-term suffering. Without proper care, trauma can manifest as chronic stress, substance use, relationship breakdown, or even suicide. But with the right support - trauma-informed counselling, community-based therapy, and early intervention - survivors can rebuild not just their lives, but their sense of self and safety. Mental health care in emergencies must be a core component of humanitarian response, not an afterthought.

Towards Inclusive, Trauma-Informed Care

To ensure access for all, we must:

1. Integrate mental health into emergency response systems, from health clinics to humanitarian aid delivery.
   
   

2. Train first responders and community workers in psychological first aid and trauma-informed practices.
   
   

3. Invest in localized, culturally sensitive interventions that recognize the unique experiences of survivors.
   
   

4. Advocate for mental health funding and policy inclusion at state and national levels.
   
   

Access begins when communities and governments recognize that mental well-being is a right - not a privilege.

MHRPH’s Commitment

At Mental Health Research and Policy Hub (MHRPH), we continue to advocate for equitable, trauma-sensitive care across Nigeria. Through our work in community research, advocacy, and policy dialogue, we aim to bridge the gap between mental health awareness and access - especially for those in crisis and post-conflict settings.

This World Mental Health Day, we renew our call for collective action:

Let us build systems that ensure no one is left behind in healing - not the displaced, not the traumatized, and not those working tirelessly to help others.

References

• World Health Organization (2023). Mental Health in Emergencies.
  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-in-emergencies
  
  

• Médecins Sans Frontières (2023). International Activity Report 2022.
  https://www.msf.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/international-activity-report-2022.pdf
  
  

• Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (2023). Post-Trauma Impacts in Conflict-Affected Communities in Northern Nigeria.
  https://www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/key-considerations-post-trauma-impacts-in-conflict-affected-communities-in-northern-nigeria/
  
  

• Mental Health Research and Policy Hub (MHRPH). Field Survey: IDP Camp, Mangu, Plateau State (2024). Unpublished internal data.