Professor Arthur C. Sackeyfio, Founding Dean, University of Ghana School of Pharmacy, has urged Ghanaians to take time to rest and live a prudent lifestyle to mitigate stress, reduce disease and raise the quality life of the nation.

Prof Sackeyfio noted that productivity level of the country was low because many workers do not rest to regain the lost energy, saying the inability to rest leads to stress and impacts negatively on health.

He gave the advice at a lecture in Accra on the “Stress and Rest: Pharmacodynamic Modulation for Sustainable Human Health” organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Prof Sackeyfio said rest was an important component of the body because it mitigated pain and manifested complete relaxation from psychological and socio-cultural engagement.

The Professor explained that the body responded to stress by releasing adrenaline for alarm and orlistol to facilitate adaptation to the stress.

He mentioned that stress driven diseases include hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders, disease of the respiratory and psychosomatic disorders as well as lifestyle and diet related diseases.

He noted that chronic and excessive stress was life threatening because it affected health sustaining energy needed for physiological activity, adding that the major signs and symptoms of stress included nervousness and depression and restlessness and sleep disorders.

Prof Sackeyfio said it was imperative for all to rest and relieve the body from stress, because social stability fosters national growth and development and peaceful co-existence ensured stress-free and a healthy national life.

He urged all to inculcate the habit of resting since it helped to replenish energy and recover from strain as well as increase concentration, memory function and overall mood.