24 Nov 2024

Wellness is associated with being aware our surroundings and making choices that lead to optimal holistic health and wellbeing.

Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) President, Mr Gotlamang Oitsile said on Saturday during the union’s national wellness day in Lobatse that it was an individual’s pursuit to self-responsibility for choices, behaviours and lifestyles that significantly influenced the physical, social and cultural environments in which they lived.

He said the wellness activities demonstrated the commitment and desire of the union to address all issues related to wellness in a broad spectrum.

Mr Oitsile said the goal was to accord the union’s general membership an array of opportunities health-wise care for their physical and emotional wellbeing.

For her part, managing director at Phemo Wellness Centre in Gaborone, Dr Precious Serero said the theme: Nurture Your Mind, Body and Soul reminded the attendees that there was no wealth without health.

Dr Serero said experiencing and responding to life and stress, anxiety and burnout were not signs of weakness, but signalled that minds needed care and nurturing, which she said started with breaking the stigma around mental health. Seeking help is a strength not a weakness, she stressed.

She said simple practices such as mindfulness, deep breaths or moments of gratitude could reduce stress and bring clarity. Equally important, she said was setting boundaries and protecting one’s mental space and creating time for rest and recovery.

Dr Serero added that prioritising mental health built resilience and joy, empowering one to thrive and inspire others because a nurtured mind was a person’s greatest strength.

She encouraged BTU members to think about one small step they could take to nurture their minds daily, whether it’s pausing for five minutes to breathe deeply, journaling thoughts or reaching out for support when needed, each of which strengthened personal resilience.

She noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, which is not about hitting the gym, but about incorporating movement into one’s daily life.

She added that these simple actions not only improved physical health, but also elevated the mood, energy and focus.

Dr Serero also noted that equally important was nutrition and hydration, encouraging eating balanced meals, limiting processed foods and staying hydrated throughout the day as well as small consistent choices such as swapping sugary drinks for water or adding more fruits and vegetables to one’s plate.

She reminded the educators that teaching was not just a profession but a calling and while the work was transformative, it could also be emotional and exhausting. As such she advised that to nurture their souls they must reconnect with what filled them with joy and gave them life’s meaning.

Dr Serero said teachers should reflect on why they began the teaching journey in the first place, and celebrate the small victories and heartfelt ‘thank-yous’ from pupils or the sense of pride when they saw learners excel.

She encouraged members of BTU to equally seek time for their passions outside work, whether its art, music, prayer or simply movements of stillness, which practices she said rejuvenated their spirits and kept them grounded.

The BTU occupational safety and health coordinating secretary, Mr Tshepo Diphale said promoting wellness awareness was promoting health and had come a long way in ensuring teachers knew about wellness challenges such as non-communicable disease.

Mr Diphale said the union had formed a strategically partnership with Diagnofirm Laboratories so that members could undergo regular screening for the betterment of their health. Ends