Sleep is powerful and definitely one of the major legal perfor­mance enhancing drugs of all time but even sleep answereth not all questions related to adequate rest.

“Doctor, I am so tired. I still feel drained even after a 10-hour sleep.”

“I feel lonely, unappreciated and extremely tired. Help me doctor.”

These are two of the numerous examples that clients complain of on a daily basis. We are in “an energy crisis that has nothing to do with oil and gas” and unless we learn to take the necessary breaks and make minor adjustments to our way of life we are heading for a generation that has burnt-out high achievers. I am only drawing attention to a crisis that is often overlooked.

Deep, adequate sleep is an ex­tremely powerful life-changing nat­ural phenomenon that many people trample upon. If you had to make a single change to your life to grow healthier I will suggest you sleep more if you sleep less than seven or eight hours a day. Yes, napping also has an energizing role in our health quest. Rest is such a broad and grey area and it appears sleep is only part of the whole enigma of REST. Now you will understand why an evening with family or friends out of home after a tiring week invigorates you. Also there must be some magic spending time by the seaside even if you don’t sleep. How about playing music with friends? Rest is much more than sleep and though sleep is extremely important all the other forms of rest do matter as well.

A look at the 7 types of rest

1. Physical rest

a. We all know that feeling when you just want the body to take a break. It turns out physical rest can be broken down into two

i. Passive Rest ; lying down, sleeping, napping

ii. Active Rest; yoga, mas­sage, stretching etc.

2. Mental rest

Typically one feels irritable, forgetful and unable to concentrate at work etc. May get eight hours of sleep yet feels horrible. This may be tell-tale signs that you need mental rest

How to fix this;

• Switch off your brain. Take short breaks every two hours talk about or write down your feelings so you are not carry­ing them around

3. Sensory rest

With the noise all around, bright lights, screen time and a host of oth­ers, our senses feel overwhelmed.

How to fix this;

• Simply close your eyes for a minute
• Unplug intentionally; Take a break from computers, phones, bright lights, noise and conversations

4. Creative rest

It is important to awaken the excitement deep within us. The glitter in our eyes. That is another realm of rest.

How to fix this;

• Walk in a beautiful place in nature, watch a movie, play a musical instrument, garden or do art. The good news is you do not even need to be good at it.

5. Emotional rest

Often we are unable to say NO when that is exactly what is needed. We accept additional engagements only to sit in our corner later and feel lonely and unappreciated.

How to fix this;

• Cut back on people-pleasing “adventures”
• Create time to freely express your feelings and emotions. “ME-TIME” and SELFCARE can’t be over emphasised

6. Social rest

It is rare to find someone who needs emotional rest BUT has no social rest deficit. They often come as a “couple”. We need to be able to differentiate between relationships that energise us and those that drain all we have.

How to fix this;

• supportive and positive peo­ple, rather than people that exhaust you.
• Engage in conversation and stay focused. Paying attention does wonders to our brain

7. Spiritual rest

We all need to rely on the power of a superior being and for me it is GOD! We need that sense of belong­ing (child of God), love and a PUR­POSE. That gives us the needed rest

How to fix this;

• Prayer
• Praise and worship to The Almighty
• Meditation
• Service to the community

My advice is let us put all these into practice as often as possible. Every day is possible. Do not wait till you are too tired or feel totally broken before you search for these tips. The time is now and remember SLEEP is supreme but we need the other forms of rest to be complete. Seek professional medical care if you continue to feel “unrested”.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, EN­SURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pres­sure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd/Medics Clinic

(www.healthessentialsgh.com)

Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Med­icine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.

Thought for the week – “Whatever you practise grows stronger, what are you practising now?”

References:

1. Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD – ideas.ted.com

In a country filled with stress, so­cial unrest and lingering scars of a pandemic, pets have emerged as silent healers, loyal companions and even lifesavers.

From the bustling streets of Ac­cra to the rural communities in the Northern Region, pets have been woven into the social fibre that of­fers a sense of hope. Science calls it the ‘Pet effect’, while others call it a blessing.

This marks the untold story of how pets are saving humans emo­tionally and psychologically across the globe.

Cultural tapestry of pets in

societies

Historically, animals have held diverse roles in societies – right from being guardians, through to being helpers on the farm and fast becoming symbols of spiritual importance.

In the Konkomba society for in­stance, certain animals like dogs, rabbits, and cats are revered; often associated with spiritual beliefs and cultural values. Prov­erbs such as ‘Taa bɛɛn Ubɔŋban daar’ (Don’t look for a dog on the day of hunting) underscores the significance of companionship as an attribute that pets embody in our society.

This cultural root significant­ly deepens the bonds between humans and their pets, reinforcing animals as a symbol of comfort.

Emotional boosters

In Ghana where mental health struggles are mostly stigmatised, pets offer judgment-free comfort. In Accra for instance, a number of households cherish dogs and cats hence nurturing bonds that tran­scend mere utility.

Pet ownership has grown as a natural way of promoting mental well-being and emotional support in times of personal or societal unrest, acting as silent witnesses and comforters.

Research from the American Psychological Association shows that interacting with pets lowers cortisol levels (stress hormone) while increasing serotonin and dopamine, chemicals linked to happiness.

The research indicates that Therapy dogs in hospitals, schools, and disaster zones provide com­fort, proving that animals have an innate ability to soothe human anxiety and depression.

The use of therapy dogs as ther­apeutic agents helps in reducing aggressive behaviours, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symp­toms.

This suggest that animals provide a significant calming and therapeu­tic effect on patients with psycho­logical disorders.

In an interview with a health ex­pert at Nkwanta St Joseph Hospi­tal, Doctor Emmanuel Mardo, said the use of trained therapy dogs was growing in the western part of the world due to health benefits on humans.

However, he noted that the use of these therapy dogs was rare in Africa. Even though most house­holds have dogs or cat, these ani­mals are there for security purpos­es and not as a companion.

“I’ve read about the benefits of therapy dogs in other countries like UK and America but it’s not a practice I know about here in our country,” Dr Mardo stated.

He acknowledged the potential benefits of such an initiative, stat­ing that it could be very essential if implemented in our hospitals.

“Personally, I believe that it is a very good initiative and since it is working for other countries, it can equally work for us,” he added.

Physical health benefits

Having a pet encourages an active lifestyle. Dog owners, for instance, are more likely to meet daily exercise requirements through walks, which aid in reduc­ing the risks of obesity and heart disease.

In an encounter with Mr Greg, an Australian dog owner in Osu-Accra, he shared benefits he derives from having a dog.

“Billy gives me the motivation to walk longer distances and yeah, his presence provides a sense of security for me. He deters poten­tial threats and I don’t feel lonely when I’m taking a walk with him,” he noted.

The American Heart Association’s 2013 statement on pet ownership also links pet ownership to low­er blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. According to the statement, an increase in physical activity can lead to a 24 per cent reduction in the risk of early death.

Daily exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels and hence decreasing the risk of a heart disease.

Safety and security benefits

Pets play a significant role in en­hancing security in various ways. They serve as a deterrent to po­tential intruders, protecting homes and properties from break-ins.

In an interview with Ms Fausti­na, a trader at Agbogbloshie, she shared her reasons for keeping multiple dogs around her property.

“I keep dogs because they pro­tect my house. Whenever someone unfamiliar approaches, they bark and alert me,” she stated.

She also noted that the pets pro­vide her with a sense of warmth and companionship, which helps her to alleviate feeling of loneli­ness as a single woman.

According to her, “Having pets around makes me feel less alone; they bring warmth to my life.”

Speaking with Mr Tayoume Ken­nedy Babuime, a Leading Fireman of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), he also stated that dogs are used for operations such as search and rescue, detection of explosives and narcotics, and pur­suit of suspects.

“Dogs are very important in our rescue operations. Their sense of smell enables us to locate people trapped in burning buildings or un­der debris. Especially, well trained sniffer dogs are the ones we most­ly use in our operations because they have the ability to detect scents far stronger and quicker than humans which makes them more suitable for our search and rescue missions,” he explained.

Pets are far more than just animals we keep at home. They are therapists, fitness coaches and family.

In a country battling high fuel prices, political noise and endless stress, pets remind us to pause and reflect on what truly mat­ters: love in its purest and furriest form.

Therefore, the next time you see a stray dog wagging its tail on Chorkor Road or a goat nuzzling a tail in Bawku, remember, these creatures are not just surviving Ghana’s chaos. They are saving us from it.

The writer is a Level 300 student of UniMAC, GIJ

By Cynthia Nnankorla Bikarl