Dealing with Lagos Traffic

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Photo Credit: Google Images

Lagos Traffic is stressful on a good day especially during the rush hours of 6AM -9AM and 6PM – 10PM. This doesn’t mean the time bands in between are any better. Changes in weather, influx of vehicles, road maintenance etc can have an incremental negative effect on Lagos Traffic, leaving people on the road for hours into midnight and this has affected the health of so many people with some dying either at the steering wheel or the morning after.

Stress or its triggers in themselves might not be harmful but it is how we react or manage them that determines their effect on the human mind and body. Case in point, Lagos Traffic is not harmful in itself, but the choices we make as we navigate traffic can affect us.  We have collated a few tips which have helped people cope with Lagos Traffic and maintain their sanity. We are after all a Mental health hospital and interested in how people keep their sanity through challenging situations.  So we asked a few people and here are their responses. .. Hope you find them helpful.

1. “I invested in hiring a driver and I always ensure he is rested and comfortable during the day so I can rest in the car while he drives in the evenings.”
2. “I use Google Map …It has saved my life”.
3.  ” I have different kinds of CDs for different levels of traffic, I listen to audio messages and books in heavy traffic, that has become my own self development time.”
4. “I day dream and loose myself in my imagination in traffic. I use that time to dream of a better future and things that make me happy”.
5.  ” I have a driver and I am a very restless person so instead of sitting still,I alight and go to conduct traffic in front while he advances till he gets to where I am and most times, its the end of the traffic, then we zoom off”.
6. “I make sure I am really tired then I read and sleep off” – (This person has a driver please)
7. “I leave really late, I get home in a few minutes- far less than if I had left at closing time. I make it up to my family by staying home on weekends”.
8. “My main issue with my route is the security in the traffic. I’m scared of hoodlums so I make sure my car is void of valuables and I’m at peace with the radio on playing songs I sing along to”.
9. “Lots of snacks and water anytime I anticipate traffic. I was getting too fat at some point so I switched to nuts and fruits. I try to stretch the supply for as long as I can so they keep me happy till I get past the trouble spots”.
10. ” I pray in Lagos traffic. That’s my own prayer time and I have been seeing results, I will be leaving the country soon, my papers are ready. God is faithful”.

If you wish to share your own findings, you can contribute by tweeting @gracehillplace or sending your own coping method via whatsapp on 09091107514. We are “The Gracehill Place” a private mental health and addiction therapy facility in the heart of Lagos state.

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