Health facilities are celebrating wellness as a priority during the month of May.

As International Nurses Day was commemorated on the May 12, the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness will be celebrating throughout the month of May as they show appreciation to the heartbeat of our healthcare system; nurses.

Faced with working in high pressure environments, nurses often put the well-being of others before their own.

Health spokesperson Natalie Watlington said this year they are putting the spotlight on healthcare heroes who champion wellness not only for the communities, but for themselves.

“Nurses know their communities and are always thinking of ways to adapt services to the benefit of patients. Under our theme, ‘wellness starts with me’, nurses are sharing their advice and principals as to how we should care for our health and well-being,” said Ms Watlington.

Melvyn Kammies, a 58 year-old professional nurse at Grassy Park Community Day Centre, proudly shares that he has been in this vocation for 26 years.

“I am a father and husband to my family with one grandchild that is well loved by all. I have a number of pets that I love to take care of in my spare time. Other than that I am devoted to my faith and spending quality time with my family.”

Mr Kammies shares that it is important to prioritise personal health and wellness.

“I spend time doing long walks at the beach to clear my mind and to spend quality time with my wife. I do intermittent gym workouts as my schedule allows to keep physically fit. I have some parrots and canaries that I keep and breed and appreciate the quality of the time spent with them. All of these activities keeps me grounded and brings calm and routine into my life.”

He believes your mental health needs to be maintained and supported by your lifestyle.

“If you can’t keep your body healthy you need to look to other ways to support it, be it spiritual, physical or mental. Don’t forget that you are a whole person and not just an illness. You are not defined by it, but you can use it to impact your community in a positive way. Thus making the environment around you change to a more positive space.”

Nurse Vivian Daniels works in the Maternity Obstetrics Unit at Retreat Community Health Centre and believes that health and wellness is an essential aspect of our lives that contributes to the happiness and quality of life.

“Good health allows us to live our lives to the fullest, participate in activities that we enjoy, and be there for the people we care most about. A healthy lifestyle helps to reduce stress, anxiety and depression and can also improve our overall sense of well-being. Additionally, and most importantly, it helps to prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.”

Nurse Vivian Daniels, Enrolled Nursing Auxillary (ENA) working in the Retreat Community Health Centre Maternity Obstetrics Unit (MOU).

Sister Daniels promotes exercise with her patients as an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Maintain your health and wellness by doing what is best for you, whether you choose to run, walk or do yoga. It is important to watch what you eat, read food labels so that you know what you are consuming. These tips assist in preventing chronic disease and long-term illnesses. When we feel good about ourselves, we develop our self-esteem and self-image.”

Regular check-ups, exercise, developing healthy eating habits, avoiding excessive alcohol, no smoking, paying attention to your body’s signals, focusing on the little things to avoid stress and monitoring critical health issues are all part of Nurse Daniels roadmap to a healthier life.

“Self-care is so important, taking meditation breaks at work, listening to music is so helpful. Remember to take a vacation day to give yourself some much needed rest. When engaging with others, practice mindful listening – our social connection with others can do wonders!”

Nurse Daniels highlights the importance of mental wellness.

“Give hugs, treat yourself in a way that you want others to treat you. It is important to love, protect and take care of yourself too.”

She believes that spiritual health contributes greatly to mental wellness.

“Our spiritual health is optimal when we are at peace with life, especially when we are able to find hope and comfort in the hardest of times. There is a sense of completeness. This journey is different for everyone. Our spiritual wellness acknowledges our search for a deeper meaning in life. When we feel more connected to a higher power and to those around us, we have more clarity when needing to make everyday choices and our actions become more consistent with our beliefs and values.”

As our nurses across the province continue to share advice and guidance as to how mental, emotional, and physical wellness play an important role in your overall health, remember, prevention is better than cure. Continue to use the services available, especially at your local wellness outreaches and hubs to prioritise your personal wellness journey, said Ms Watlington.

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‘Wellness starts with me’