Wellness 101 for Women Working on UN Peacekeeping Missions
Wellness 101 for Women Working on UN Peacekeeping Missions
Did you know that as a woman that working in a highly stressful work environment and away from your family can put you at a greater risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, cancer and certain auto-immune diseases such as lupus? The chronic stress that women are exposed in these conflict and post conflict countries can trigger the release of stress hormones and lower one’s immunity.
These missions are strongly male dominated and women are expected to pull up their boot straps and work in the same manner that the men work and it takes a major toll. By the way, the men too also in these environments are at increased risk of heart attack, brain aneurysms and cancer. Sometimes these diseases will show up when the person has just retired or about to retire and the body has had enough flight or fight responses.
Work in these environments involve around the clock deadlines, plus interfacing with traumatized and impoverished populations who have high expectations from the UN. This can be a heavy burden along with feelings of guilt of being away from one’s family. Single women often feel even more alone when they return to their home countries. Women have to deal with the additional issue of sexism and making their voices heard on these missions.
When women do go on their holidays, the travel schedule to fly out to their families can be so exhausting that they avoid doing intensive wellness checks beyond monitoring their high blood pressure until it is too late.
Myself from being on UN peacekeeping missions, I know all too well the grueling work schedule. I had a boss in the DRC who went to bed at 2am and woke by 5am. I doff my hat to her, however those of us around her couldn’t keep up. While that boss was good at her job, she was often irritable and smoked a lot of cigarettes.
It’s quite important to keep your health in mind because when you are healthy you can give your best to your job. Women are important gatekeepers to peace.
When you have the chance to take your vacations to your home countries please consider the following which will be very important:
- Go for your yearly mammogram
- Don’t be afraid to get help and pay for it
- Go for a colonoscopy
- Write your emotions in a journal
- Go to your OBGYN and take your yearly Pap exam
- Go your eye exam
- Take your flu shot
- If you feel a pain or something is wrong get it checked out
- Screen for auto-immune diseases such as lupus
- Check your sugar levels
- Check your high blood pressure and if it is above 130 don’t just let it go
- Be your best advocate
- Keep a healthy weight
- Don’t run yourself ragged running errands
- Make time for the people who matter and listen
- Get proper sleep
- Get help and speak to a therapist who understands working in conflict and post conflict countries about your depression and PTSD
- Get help and speak to a personal coach who has a background of working in conflict and post conflict countries that can help you come up with a wellness plan and how to navigate and give you the space to express yourself
- Get moving with online yoga or cardio, dance
- Eat healthier
- Talk to your doctor if you feel a lack of energy
- Take slow walks
- Cut back on smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol
- Reduce dependencies on sleep medication
- Get help if you find yourself addicted to alcohol or other drugs
- Find a hobby that can help you release work tension
- Enforce boundaries