Proactive mental health in retirement: Strategies that help seniors manage anxiety and depression

Retirement marks a significant life transition, often envisioned as a time of freedom, leisure, and fulfillment after decades of work. However, for many, it brings unexpected challenges to mental health. The loss of daily structure, professional identity, social connections, and sense of purpose can contribute to anxiety, depression, and a sense of aimlessness. Understanding these risks and adopting proactive strategies can help retirees maintain well-being and enjoy this new chapter.

The psychological impact of retirement

Retirement affects mental health in varied ways. Some experience an initial ‘honeymoon’ phase of relief, especially after stressful careers, but others face a decline. Studies indicate that complete retirement can lead to a 6 percent to 9 percent decline in mental health metrics over several years, with increased difficulties in daily activities and higher rates of illness.

One-third of retirees experience depression, according to geriatric psychiatry specialist Dr. Martha Sajatovic.

In a University Hospitals video, ‘The Four Secrets to a Better Retirement,’ she explains that challenges stem from retirement readiness across physical health, mental health, financial security, and social environment. Forced retirement or inadequate preparation heightens risks.

Key triggers include: Loss of purpose and routine: Work often provides goals, identity, and structure. Without these, retirees may feel aimless or useless.

Social isolation: Colleagues and workplace interactions fade, leading to loneliness-a major risk factor for depression in older adults.

Financial anxiety: Worries about outliving savings or reduced income add stress.

Health changes: Declining mobility, chronic conditions, or caregiving roles compound emotional strain.

The World Health Organization notes that by 2030, one in six people will be over 60, with retirement, bereavement, and reduced purpose as key risk factors for mental health issues. Depression is not a normal part of aging, yet it is often underdiagnosed in seniors because symptoms like fatigue, cognitive issues, or withdrawal are mistaken for ‘just getting older.’

Anxiety may manifest differently in later life, focusing on health, finances, or loss of independence. Dr. Julie Erickson, in her ADAA webinar ‘Anxiously Aging,’ describes anxiety as a ‘fire alarm’ for potential threats, which can be adaptive but becomes problematic when it leads to excessive avoidance or chronic worry.

Recognizing signs of anxiety and depression

Common symptoms in retirees include persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite or sleep, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness. In older adults, depression may also appear as irritability, cognitive complaints, or somatic issues like unexplained pain. Anxiety might involve restlessness, muscle tension, or excessive worry about health or family.

Experts from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIMH, and SAMHSA, in their QandA video ‘Mental Health and Older Adults,’ emphasize that while some emotional ups and downs are normal, persistent symptoms lasting weeks warrant attention. Depression increases risks for other issues, including dementia-like symptoms or suicide in severe cases.

Expert tips for fighting anxiety and depression

Fortunately, effective strategies exist. Experts recommend a multifaceted approach focusing on lifestyle, social connections, and professional help when needed.

1. Stay physically active

Exercise is one of the most evidence-based ways to boost mood. It releases endorphins, reduces stress hormones, and improves sleep and self-esteem. Aim for 30 minutes most days-walking, swimming, yoga, or chair exercises suit varying mobility levels. Mayo Clinic resources highlight how physical activity can ease depression and anxiety symptoms comparably to other treatments.

Dr. Sajatovic and NIA experts stress maintaining routines, including regular activity, to combat the void left by work.

2. Build and maintain social connections

Loneliness is a silent epidemic. Schedule regular interactions with family, friends, or community groups. Join clubs, volunteer, or take classes. The NIA QandA panel notes that staying connected via phone, video, or in-person activities significantly wards off isolation and boosts mood.

3. Find new purpose and structure

Replace work with meaningful activities. Pursue hobbies, part-time work, mentoring, or volunteering. Dr. Sajatovic advises thinking about passions or teaching old skills, and gradually scaling back from full-time work if possible to build a non-work identity. Set small goals, maintain household routines, and schedule pleasurable activities.

4. Practice mindfulness and relaxation

Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or yoga reduce anxiety. The NHS offers a helpful body scan relaxation video guided by a doctor. Gratitude practices- noting daily positives-also shift outlook.

Dr. Erickson’s webinar outlines cognitive behavioral strategies for managing anxious thoughts, such as challenging worst-case scenarios and engaging in value-based activities.

5. Prioritize healthy habits and seek help

Eat well, stay hydrated, maintain sleep hygiene (7-9 hours), and limit alcohol. If symptoms persist, consult a doctor or mental health professional. Treatments include therapy (e.g., CBT), medication, or combined approaches. Early intervention is key.

Ohio State Health experts recommend consistent sleep schedules, weekly social plans, exercise (150 minutes/week), and new hobbies.

A positive outlook is possible

While retirement can challenge mental health, many thrive by viewing it as a new life chapter rather than an end.

Preparation-financial planning, social networks, and mindset shifts-makes a difference. Research shows aspirational or well-planned retirements often improve well-being, while negative circumstances worsen it.

Retirees should monitor their mood, reach out for support, and remember that help is available. Videos on YouTube featuring Dr. Martha Sajatovic (University Hospitals), the NIA expert panel, and Dr. Julie Erickson (ADAA) provide accessible, expert-backed guidance worth watching.

By staying active, connected, purposeful, and proactive about care, retirees can reduce anxiety and depression risks and embrace a fulfilling post-career life. Mental health in later years is not inevitable decline but an area for continued growth and resilience.

Recommended expert videos: ‘The Four Secrets to a Better Retirement’ with Dr. Martha Sajatovic (University Hospitals) – Discusses depression causes and purpose-finding.

‘Mental Health and Older Adults QandA’ (National Institute on Aging)-Signs, symptoms, and lifestyle tips.

‘Anxiously Aging’ with Dr. Julie Erickson (ADAA)-Managing anxiety in later life.

Our comebacks are what truly define us

I’ve been watching the NBA Finals series between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. I’m really not a basketball fanatic. I don’t root for any particular team. I’m more of a casual and neutral spectator of the game.

I enjoyed the games. But Game 4 of the series was to me something everyone will be talking about for years. It was a game that defined the character of this New York team.

I was watching that game with my son, who is a loyal Knicks fan. The game wasn’t going well for New York in the early part. At halftime, the Knicks were down by 29 points.

Most teams would have accepted defeat and would just look ahead to the next game. Knicks fans caught by the camera looked gloomy and disheartened. I told my son that the game was over for the Knicks. So, I left him and went to work on a think piece that I was writing. He said something like ‘they’ll bounce back’ although I sensed he wasn’t too confident about it.

After a quite a while, as I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard my son letting out a loud whoop of excitement.

I dropped everything I was doing and went back to join my son in front of the TV screen. The game was in its last few minutes. Unbelievably, the Knicks were now tied with the Spurs. In the last 7 seconds a timely rebound from nowhere and a tip in by one of the Knicks sealed the game for New York, which won by one point!

Eventually, two days after, as we all know, the New York Knicks went on to become NBA champions once again, after 53 years!

One reason I enjoyed the series is that it had the elements of an endearing movie – comeback after comeback, the Knicks refusing to stay down, New York fans going from despair to delirium and back again, sometimes within the same quarter. A roster rebuilt from scratch over six years finally delivered what this city had been waiting for since before most of its fans were born. To top it, there was the added layer of David versus Goliath duel, a crafty 6-foot-2 experienced point guard going against a young talented 7-foot-4 behemoth center.

Me being me, I saw a message. It wasn’t just about basketball. It’s about life. Your failures, setbacks don’t define you. How you respond to them does.

Take a moment and look back. Remember the hardships you survived, the heartbreaks you healed from, the challenges that forced you to grow. The strength you need today may already be inside you, forged by yesterday’s struggles.

My son stayed with it. He knew the team had a track record of overcoming big deficits time and again. They were a resilient team, or as someone has dubbed them, ‘the comeback kings.’

Speaking of come backs, I have a friend who had been downed by a debilitating stroke. The stroke triggered other mini strokes and multiple health issues. After being discharged, he would be rushed back to the hospital. At one time, one doctor even told the wife that my friend had only three or four weeks to live. It’s been more than a year now and it seems he is making a rebound, with the help of her wife and therapists. Through it all, she did not give up. The series of crisis developed in her what I call ‘spiritual muscle.’

Setbacks, failures, disappointments are opportunities to build, strengthen and flex our spiritual muscles.

Consider the coach of the Knicks. He was fired four times-by other NBA teams he coached. He could have walked away bitter. Instead, he kept learning, kept showing up, and kept believing his story was not finished. Now, with the New York Knicks, he’s a champion.

Sometimes rejection is not the end of the road. It is preparation for the right opportunity. Your setback may simply be setting the stage for your comeback.

Many of us find ourselves stuck in a place we think we can’t escape: a destructive habit, a toxic relationship, an addiction, a character trait that keeps hurting the people we love.

Well, there’s a beautiful thing called redemption.

In fact, there’s a redemption story that is now keeping a social media platform abuzz.

It’s about the journey of someone who has survived being an addict, who walked through hell and made it out the other side. He is the son of a former US president, who had been vilified and judged endlessly by millions.

Now he has fully recovered and he is telling his story, posting short but pithy messages to help others in the same predicament. In one post, he writes:

‘I don’t really think it’s about me. I think it’s about the idea that we all have fallen down and that we all wish we could be a little kinder to each other. And we all hope for a little grace and understanding when we get honest with ourselves and the world. And we all have that friend or brother or parent or son that has fu-d up but fought to get back on their feet. Whatever it is- it’s not about me. It’s about all of us. So I genuinely ask you to forget about me- and reach out to someone.’

If you’re going through something hard right now, stay in it. Never stop trying. Never believe for one moment that you’ve gone too far to come back. As the Japanese say ‘Nana korobi ya oki’ (fall down seven times, stand up eight.)

Don’t allow anyone make you believe you’re not worthy, because you are! The thing that breaks you is often the thing that builds you. The way you make comeback after comeback is what will truly define you.

So let me give a big shout out to each and every one of you who gets up every day, still in the game of life, ready to come from behind for the win.

Environmental Degradation Threatens Livelihoods Along Komadugu-Yobe Basin – NEAZDP

The North East Arid Zone Development Programme (NEAZDP) has raised concerns over the worsening environmental degradation of the Komadugu-Yobe Basin, warning that the ecological crisis poses a serious threat to the livelihoods of millions of residents across Yobe State.

The Programme Manager of NEAZDP, Dr. Mulima Idi Mato, spoke about this during a one-day sensitization workshop on ‘Environmental Degradation on the Komadugu-Yobe Basin: Implications for Livelihoods, Ecosystem and Collective Action’ held at Bricks Point Hotel, Damaturu, on Thursday.

Dr. Mato said the basin, which stretches across the semi-arid region of Yobe State from Nguru to Yunusari over a distance of more than 200 kilometres, remains a critical source of livelihood for farmers, fishermen, livestock herders and other communities.

According to him, the ecosystem is increasingly under threat from both human activities and natural factors, necessitating urgent collective action to safeguard its future.

‘The Komadugu-Yobe Basin is the source of livelihood for millions of people in Yobe State, but today it is facing existential threats arising from environmental degradation caused by both human and natural factors,’ he said.

He explained that the workshop was organized to sensitize stakeholders on the dangers facing the basin and mobilize support for its preservation.

‘We invited stakeholders to engage them on the challenges ahead and how we can work together to protect this very important source of livelihood in Yobe State,’ he added.

The programme manager said agencies under the state Ministry of Environment were intensifying efforts to address environmental challenges across the state through awareness campaigns and community engagement.

He noted that communities, traditional rulers, farmers, fishermen and herders all have vital roles to play in protecting the ecosystem for future generations.

Dr. Mato identified siltation, encroachment, flooding and the receding nature of the river as some of the major environmental challenges affecting the basin.

‘There are a lot of changes taking place in the river system. We have problems of siltation, encroachment, flooding and the receding nature of the river. These are issues that require urgent attention from all stakeholders,’ he said.

He expressed optimism that participants at the workshop would return to their respective communities with renewed commitment towards protecting the river and promoting environmental sustainability.

In his remark, the State Commissioner Ministry of Environment, Hon. Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa, said the ministry has hundreds of thousands of tree seedlings ready for planting as part of efforts to combat desertification and environmental degradation.

The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Maidala Baleri Bularafa, called on residents of the state to support environmental conservation efforts and avoid activities that could further degrade the basin.

‘We have hundreds of thousands of seedlings available. Once the planting season is fully established, we will commence tree planting in collaboration with the NEAZDP, which is fully prepared to support the initiative,’ he said.

Anne Curtis sets 1st film with Mikhail Red, eyes reunions with Ruel Bayani, Irene Villamor

Fresh off her first headliner movie in six years, Anne Curtis is already setting the stage for her next batch of films including a couple of reunions.

The host-actress will team up with Mikhail Red for the first time in the director’s upcoming contemporary thriller “Remote.”

This marks a return to the genre for Anne whose last thriller movies were 2018’s “Aurora” and 2014’s “Blood Ransom.”

According to information obtained by entertainment outlet Variety, Anne will portray an investigative journalist who goes undercover looking into killings linked to a shadowy international outsourcing company that recruits remote workers across the Philippines.”

Viva Films will produce the movie with Red’s Evolve Studios, which confirmed the news on social by sharing the outlet’s article. Production is expected to start later this year.

The director told the outlet “Remote” is inspired by his own proximity to remote work which became a norm during and after the pandemic, noting the rise of online digital nomads “displaced in their own timezones working graveyard shifts.”

“Most are virtual assistants for western companies, who do odd tasks for high pay due to the exchange rate but at the same time may be vulnerable to exploitation because of legal gray zones,” he continued. “The film also poses the question of who or what really controls us? It is the colonization of consciousness itself and the weaponization of fear.” Anne, who just marked 29 years in the entertainment business, hosted a media conference last June 18 where she confirmed two other movies in development she’d participate in.

One was with Irene Villamor who just directed her in “The Loved One” earlier this year opposite Jericho Rosales, which was a reunion for the two actors after working on the 2008 film “Baler” and the 2011 series “Green Rose” together.

The two women are still discussing what genre they will tackle, their other collaboration being another romance drama “Sid and Aya: Not a Love Story” from 2018.

The “It’s Showtime” host will reunite with filmmaker Ruel S. Bayani, who directed her in 2011’s “No Other Woman” alongside Derek Ramsay and Cristine Reyes.

Anne teased Bayani’s plans carried a good, signature concept that was slightly camp, also praising the screenwriter he tapped.

Bayani, who served time as an ABS-CBN executive after his extensive television experience, has not directed since 2018’s “Kasal” which also starred Derek but with Bea Alonzo and Paulo Avelino.

The actress is currently in the final shooting days of “BuyBust: The Undesirables,” the sequel spin-off series to Erik Matti’s 2018 movie.

KAIA to perform at 2nd NBA Rising Stars Invitational featuring 2 Philippine schools

P-pop group KAIA is expanding the Filipino representation at the second-ever NBA Rising Stars International later this month in Singapore.

The Philippine contingent of the NBA confirmed that the girl group will be performing at the sports event running from June 23 to 28 in the OCBC Arena.

So far the only other confirmed performer is newly-formed K-pop boy band Lngshot who are expected to perform at the invitational’s final day.

NBA Rising Stars International will gather 24 high school basketball teams from across Asia-Pacific, 12 boys and girls teams apiece.

Two Philippine schools will be participating this year: Far Eastern University-Diliman in the boys divisin and the University of Santo Tomas in the girls division.

Both teams were the champions of their respective 19U tournaments of the recently-concluded UAAP season.

Basketball stars attending the event are NBA champions Jeremy Lin and Mitch Ricmond, Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, and multiple WNBA and WNBL champion Lauren Jackson.

Gatchalian: Flood probe to continue if there are new testimonies

The Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry into alleged irregularities in flood control projects may continue if new pieces of evidence emerge and additional witnesses come forward, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Friday.

‘It can still proceed if new evidence and new witnesses emerge because, if we recall, the report submitted by Senator [Ping] Lacson was only a partial report so it can still continue,’ Gatchalian said in an interview with DZMM.

‘What is important here is that if there is new evidence or new witnesses, they should submit affidavits and documents so the committee can study them,’ he added.

Gatchalian made the remark when asked whether the Senate would continue the investigation following the recent leadership change. He was elected Senate president last Wednesday after securing 13 votes.

Weeks prior, however, the leadership dispute between him and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has divided the upper chamber into two factions, with both blocs conducting separate hearings on the flood control issue.

The Cayetano bloc called a hearing on June 4, when 18 men represented by lawyer Levito Baligod made allegations linking several public officials to the corruption scandal.

‘Mockery’

Days later, on June 8, the reorganized committee under Sen. Erwin Tulfo invited the same group to attend a consultative meeting.

While the 18 men appeared at the Senate complex, they did not attend the proceedings and instead proceeded to the office of Sen. Robinhood Padilla.

Referring to the incident, Gatchalian said the group had already been given the opportunity to present its claims before the Senate.

‘That was insulting and, to me, it made a mockery of the hearing. It also wasted the opportunity to tell the truth,’ he said. ‘As far as I’m concerned, they were given the opportunity, but they wasted it.’

‘The truth does not choose sides. Whether the chairman is your ally, not your ally, or someone you do not even know, you should tell the truth,’ he added.

Gatchalian also cautioned against using Senate inquiries as venues for unsubstantiated accusations. ‘What we do not want is for the committee to be used merely for accusations. It is easy to accuse, but what is important is evidence and testimony,’ he said.

Public record

The blue ribbon panel’s probe into alleged corruption in flood control projects started on Aug. 19, 2025, under then chair Sen. Rodante Marcoleta. In September, Lacson took over Marcoleta’s post after a leadership shake-up and resumed the investigation.

On Feb. 11, the committee distributed to its 17 members the partial report containing the findings based on seven hearings, but only seven senators out of the required nine have signed so it can be sponsored in plenary.

Apart from Lacson and Tulfo, the other signatories to date are Senators Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan and Raffy Tulfo.

On May 5, Lacson delivered a privilege speech on the report, making its contents part of public record. Cayetano, meanwhile, has accused the new Senate majority of ‘covering up’ the truth about the flood control issue, stating that his bloc was the one seeking to ‘uncover the truth.’

Hontiveros, however, said the former Senate president’s statement was ‘lacking in fairness’ and that the new majority had continued and remained committed to pursuing the inquiry.

‘There is absolutely no cover-up on the part of the new majority,’ Hontiveros said in an interview on Friday in Cebu City. She added that the 18 former bodyguards would again be invited to testify before Tulfo’s committee.

‘By then, they would be obliged to appear and honor the invitation so there would no longer be any need for the committee to issue subpoenas against them,’ she said.

Groups oppose Escudero return as Sara Duterte trial presiding officer

As senators get back on track following a short-lived but tumultuous Senate leadership, a broad coalition of activist groups and concerned individuals warned on Friday that designating Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero as the presiding officer of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could ‘melt’ the credibility of the chamber’s new majority.

Escudero is well-remembered as last year’s Senate president who refused to start ‘forthwith’ Duterte’s trial after the House impeached her in February 2025. His move stalled the trial until it was finally aborted in July when the Supreme Court ruled that Duterte’s impeachment was unconstitutional.

The civil society groups and mass organizations said they recognized the ‘tactical considerations’ in the Senate majority’s plan but expressed ‘serious concern’ over it.

They said that among the options available to the Senate in overseeing the trial, installing Escudero as presiding officer was ‘perhaps the most imperfect and one of the most dangerous.’

‘At a time when the Senate must restore public confidence in its independence and credibility, elevating Escudero to this crucial role risks achieving the opposite,’ they said.

Emerging ‘consensus’

Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson said last Wednesday that there was ‘consensus’ among the new majority senators-who formally ousted Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president-to designate Escudero, a lawyer, to preside over the impeachment trial this year.

Senate President Sherwin ‘Win’ Gatchalian, who is not a lawyer, said the plan wasn’t final and there would be further discussions about it. He pointed out that the Senate rules assigned to him, as Senate president, the task of presiding over the trial.

President Marcos on Friday was not concerned over Escudero’s possible designation as the impeachment trial presiding officer, but he also expressed support for whoever would be finally chosen by the senators.

He noted that the impeachment rules adopted by the Senate were written by Escudero for last year’s trial.

Mr. Marcos pointed out that Duterte’s trial was halted by the Supreme Court. ‘And that had nothing to do with Senator Chiz,’ he said.

Escudero, 56, ran as a candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition party in the 2022 national polls. He was also supported by Duterte, the ‘Uniteam’ running mate of Mr. Marcos. Duterte broke ties with the President and became one of his staunchest critics.

Legal background

The activist coalition said that the argument that Escudero’s legal background qualified him to perform the role of presiding officer was ‘unconvincing.’

‘An impeachment trial is not merely a legal exercise; it is a constitutional and political process that demands public trust in the neutrality of those who oversee it,’ they said. ‘The impeachment trial is a defining test for the Senate and for Philippine democracy.’

The groups that signed the statement against the Senate majority’s plan included 1Sambayan, August Twenty One Movement (Atom), Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, Youth Against Kurakot, Pandayan Para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas and Prayer Battalion.

Four articles

Among the individuals opposed to Escudero as impeachment trial presiding officer was Fr. Flavie Villanueva, one of the recipients of the 2025 Magsaysay Awards who has been aiding families of victims of the drug war of the Vice President’s father, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte was impeached for the second time on May 11. She will be tried on charges detailed in four articles of impeachment for culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery and graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.

Article I alleges that Duterte misused up to P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) from late 2022 to 2023.

Article II accuses her of accumulating unexplained wealth disproportional to her lawful income as a public official and of not disclosing all her assets.

Article III is for bribery and graft and corruption for allegedly giving out monetary gifts and secret payments to officials of DepEd when she was the education secretary, before she broke away from President Marcos.

Article IV pertained to her own public disclosure that she had contracted an assassin to kill Mr. Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Both agree on date

Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, the head of the House prosecution team, said on Friday that one thing that both the prosecutors and Duterte’s lawyers ‘aligned’ on during their first pretrial conference on Thursday was to start the impeachment trial on July 6.

‘It was confirmed,’ she said during an online interview with reporters.

Luistro said the pretrial conference would resume on June 22 as the prosecution was unable to finish marking all the voluminous documents submitted.

A pretrial conference is intended to streamline the impeachment trial and prevent unnecessary delays once it begins.

A June 9 Senate impeachment court notice directed the two sides to do several tasks for this purpose, including stipulating facts, identifying the witnesses who would testify, marking evidence, setting trial dates and raising other matters to promote a fair and expeditious trial.

The stipulations and the list of witnesses are finished, Luistro said.

She said the heated debates between the two sides were normal during pretrial conferences when two opposing sides argue.

Sara’s mindset

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a spokesperson for the prosecution team along with Kabataan Rep. Renee Co, said that the defense’s pretrial brief suggested that Duterte’s mindset was of someone who believes that she is beyond the reach of the law.

At a press briefing last Thursday, Adiong noted her refusal to properly respond to the allegations or present defense evidence. This reeks of disrespect for the impeachment court, he said.

‘At the end of the day, as Cong. Renee said, if you don’t give at least respect to the court by explaining to the court what really happened, as you are supposed to do, then the explanation is either you are not serious or you really feel that you don’t owe people any explanation,’ he said.

Adiong said that if accountability mechanisms like the impeachment applied to all high-ranking officials, it should apply to Duterte as well.

It speaks about how they think that they are way beyond the reach of the law. It also speaks about the kind of mindset that-I’m sorry to say-that the Vice President feels, you know, she thinks…,’ Adiong said. ‘This is an act of someone who thinks that she’s beyond reproach.’

What is ectopic pregnancy?

A tubal pregnancy – the most common type of ectopic pregnancy – happens when a fertilised egg gets stuck on its way to the uterus, often because the fallopian tube is damaged by inflammation or is misshapen.

Hormonal imbalances or abnormal development of the fertilised egg might also play a role. Some things that make you more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy are: Previous ectopic pregnancy.

If you’ve had this type of pregnancy before, you’re more likely to have another. Inflammation or infection. S3xually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia, can cause inflammation in the tubes and other nearby organs, and increase your risk of an ectopic pregnancy. Fertility treatments.

Some research suggests that women who have IVF or similar treatments are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy. Infertility itself may also raise your risk. Tubal surgery. Surgery to correct a closed or damaged fallopian tube can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. Choice of birth control. The chance of getting pregnant while using an intrauterine device (IUD) is rare.

However, if you do get pregnant with an IUD in place, it’s more likely to be ectopic. Tubal ligation, a permanent method of birth control commonly known as ‘having your tubes tied’, also raises your risk if you become pregnant after this procedure. Smoking.

Cigarette smoking just before you get pregnant can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. The more you smoke, the greater the risk. There’s no way to prevent an ectopic pregnancy, but here are some ways to decrease your risk: Limiting the number of sexual partners and using a condom during sex helps to prevent sexually transmitted infections and may reduce the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease. Don’t smoke. If you do, quit before you try to get pregnant.

Ekiti 2026: Contenders, pretenders, factors that will shape poll

Eyes are on Ekiti State as voters troop out today to vote in a historic governorship election that would shape the course of development in the next four years.

No fewer than 12 opposition candidates are trying to challenge Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who is seeking re-election and positioned to break the second term jinx.

According to analysts, history is on the line, as no incumbent governor has successfully won re-election in Ekiti State since the return to civil rule in 1999.

Two days ago, the candidate of the less visible Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Victor Adetunji, who withdrew from the race, endorsed the governor. Oyebanji’s major rivals are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Wole Oluyede, and Dare Bejide, who is running on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The remaining 11 contenders are not in the race to make any impact, but to merely seek attention. They lack structure and followership, networks and capacity for mobilisation, logistics and resources, and goodwill among the people. Although some of them are highly educated, their weak platforms constitute a setback.

Oyebanji is fortunate to be supported by his four predecessors – Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ayodele Fayose, Segun Oni and Otunba Niyi Adebayo. It has never happened before in Ekiti that four former governors united to project a single candidate.

Also, for the first time, the social climate is not cloudy. The election is predictable. Tension is not anticipated and inconclusive election is not expected.

Basking in the euphoria of incumbency power, performance record, formidable structure and public goodwill, the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said it would be a total sweep across the 16 local governments.

Echoing him, Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, in a post before the campaigns officially ended, said the party would target 500,000 votes for a landslide.

He urged party members and the electorate generally to shun violence, saying that the mission to accomplish the figures would die the moment one ballot box is snatched or one voter is hurt.

He said June 20 is about peace and not war, adding that ‘beyond ballots and figures, this election must send one message to Nigeria and the world: Ekiti chooses peace over violence, progress over chaos, performances over promises.

He recalled that the party had led the charge from ward meetings to town halls, from radio jingles to market sensitisation.’

Dipe said: ‘Elections are not warfare. They are conversations; a conversation about whose hand can hold the farmer’s plough steadier, which leader will finish the roads our traders use, pay the salaries our teachers wait for, and complete the hospitals where our mothers seek care. The moment that conversation turns to insults, thuggery, or ballot snatching, Ekiti loses.’

The Publicity Secretary said the ruling party had laid a good example of decorum, urging other parties to follow suit on poll day.

Dipe said APC’s campaign had rested on the pillars of respect for INEC and security agencies, respect for opponents, and respect for voters.

He stressed: ‘We campaigned hard, but we did not campaign dirty because BAO’s record from 2022 to 2026 speaks. There is no name-calling.

‘The akara seller in Efon, the okada rider in Omuo, the teacher in Ikole – they deserve to vote and return home safely. Their safety is greater than any party’s ambition.’

To voters, Dipe said: ‘What does good conduct look like on Saturday? Show up early. Cast your vote. Wait patiently for results. Stop your brother from fighting at the collation centre. Celebrate victory without mocking the defeated. Accept defeat without burning tyres.’

Also to party agents, the Publicity Secretary said: ‘Count votes, don’t count heads.’

The PDP and ADC, which signed the peace accord along with the APC, have reiterated their commitment to peace. They also provoke laughter by insisting that they would displace the ruling party.

According to observers, the rival flagbearers, predictably, would lose their deposit.

Although APC tended to have campaigned on the altar of zoning, it is not an issue in the state. Generally, the homogenous state is one zone, united by history and similarities of culture, tradition and collective quest for survival.

While the three major candidates are politically connected, the people also assess them by their distinct party affiliations. Ekiti does not see any difference between the PDP and African Democratic Congress (ADC) as they have the same opposition root.

Also, Ekiti opposition candidates have not really canvassed alternative programmes that could persuade them to jettison the ruling party. Their manifestos are devoid of depth, logic and clarity, thereby lacking a popular appeal. The feeling is that politicians who cannot put their house in order would prove a disaster in public service.

Two weeks ago, the PDP candidate, while urging the electorate to vote for him, even promised to key into the reforms agenda of the Tinubu administration, a testimony that APC is a good party. The PDP leader, Ayo Fayose, is a co-campaigner for BAO, as Oyebanji is fondly called by admirers.

Dr. Basiru challenged the opposition to dispute whether Ekiti has savoured good governance in the Fountain of Knowledge. He said Oyebanji’s feats are visible and worthy of commendation.

The state capital, Ado-Ekiti, is being given a facelift through urban renewal schemes, particularly the construction of the 18-kilometre Ring Road, equipped with solar street lights. Vice President Kashim Shettima who came to commission the long bridge built by the governor attested to the infrastructural development.

The Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, has been commissioned, thereby opening the state to global trade, agricultural export, and tourism. Flyovers and overhead bridges in the Ado-Ekiti metropolis are also being constructed to ease urban congestion.

The enhanced rural integration, road networks now connect remote farming communities directly to urban markets, thereby reducing post-harvest losses.

Ekiti is particularly noted for education. Its scholars are its pride. The government has rehabilitated 203 public secondary schools and over 900 public primary schools across the state. Free education has been instituted from primary to secondary levels in public schools. Over 2,000 qualified teachers and non-teaching personnel were to bridge the staffing gap. It is remarkable that subventions to state-owned tertiary institutions have been increased, thus ensuring academic stability and uninterrupted learning.

Oyebanji has raised the capital project allocation from 30% to over 50% of the total budget, and provided grants, vocational training, and loans to thousands of young entrepreneurs and small business owners.

The health sector is defended. Over 177 primary healthcare centers have been rehabilitated and upgraded while mobile health initiatives for rural areas are implemented.

Fundamentally, Ekiti is associated with agriculture. That is why the government has empowered young farmers through the ‘Bring Back the Youths in Agriculture’ scheme. Mechanised tools and funding are provided, in addition to a guaranteed market for produce.

It worths emphasising again that inclusive style of leadership has fostered unprecedented political stability and peace in Ekiti. The governor is accessible, thus making visceral engagement with traditional rulers, labour unions, and civic groups possible in the course of decision-making.

In the last seven and half years, APC has maintained strong dominance over governance in Ekiti, controlling the House of Assembly and the 16 local governments. The uniqueness of today’s poll is that it would also be used by Oyebanji to make the point that the second term jinx can be broken through the people’s consent. For the progressive bloc, it is an opportunity to consolidate power in its stronghold, amid internal fragmentation of the opposition in the state.

Oyebanji is not lonely. He is not abandoned in the time of need. Many APC governors, National Assembly members and top party leaders, community and religious leaders and the elite trooped into the state yesterday to build massive goodwill and solidarity for the homeboy, currently the main issue, and the youngest founding father of Ekiti State.

Never in the history of the 30 year-old state have indigenes and residents been united in a collective decision and consent. Many returned home yesterday to participate in the festival of choice and affirmation that is expected to herald the consolidation of democracy in Ekiti.

It was a work-free day for public servants and a public holiday for primary and secondary schools. The purpose was to enable civil servants and teachers to travel to their respective voting centers ahead of the polls.The exceptions are civil servants who offer essential services, including hospitals and fire station workers.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also started the distribution of sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets-from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Ado-Ekiti to the 16 local government areas.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, reiterated INEC’s commitment to a free and fair poll. The commission confirmed a 97 percent Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate across the state. Over 1.05 million registered voters are expected to participate across 2,445 polling units.

Two days ago, INEC began the distribution of sensitive materials to the local governments while security agencies also deployed personnel to the various voting locations.

The commission also ruled out any logistic problems.

A party source hinted that since BAO’s re-election is a foregone conclusion, attention will shift to 2030 as from tomorrow.

A source said: ‘It is true that some people are periscoping into the future, which is also nearer than we imagined. I can sense it; I can imagine the battle of the senators and other key actors and players in the future succession politics.’

Much ado about APC senatorial ticket in North Central state

A clash of interests between the national and state leaderships of a prominent political party over a senatorial seat in a North Central state is threatening the peace of the party at state and national levels.

The crisis has pitted two diminutive governors of the party against each other after a shouting match in which one told the other to ‘shut up your mouth!’

It has also seen one of the governors in dispute flexing muscles with the national leadership of the party by working to impose his own candidate over the one preferred by the party at the centre.

It all began with three prominent members of the party in the said senatorial district, including an incumbent senator, all expressing their desire to pick the party’s ticket for the 2027 elections.

Aware that the party at the centre preferred the incumbent senator for reelection, the two other aspirants agreed to step down for him at a consensus meeting.

The aspirant endorsed by the two others thought the coast was clear after they all signed an agreement projecting him as the consensus candidate, but he soon realised how mistaken he was when the document got to the governor and he decided to sit on it, trying to pave way for his preferred candidate.

As it turned out, the matter then came up for discussion at a meeting held by the governors elected on the party’s platform to iron out issues arising from the primary elections in different states, and a South-South governor confronted the North Central state governor, asking where he got the temerity to work against the interest of the party at the centre.

But the North Central state governor found the question offensive and asked the South-South state governor what his business was with the goings on in his (North Central) state, asking him to mind his business.

The statement infuriated the South-South governor who retorted: ‘Shut up your mouth!. How dare you work against the interest of the national leadership of our party? The party says it prefers a candidate and there you are working against its interest.’

It took the timely intervention of other governors at the forum to prevent the confrontation from degenerating into physical combat.