−Women’s Investment Webinar second night spotlights personal care
−Nulli Secundus girls weigh in on work/school/church life balance and benefits
As the three-night Investment Webinar for women continued, consideration was given to self-care as a practice that brings out the best of a woman. This practice becomes paramount as she is positioned to lead homes, businesses, corporations, and communities.
On the second night of the webinar, panelists Dr Shellon Bovell and Dr Kezia Lee and the moderator Jubilantѐ Cutting delved deeply into the topic. Noting that it is imperative we take care of ourselves, both doctors agreed that self-care is not selfish but is the foundation of good health.
According to the World Health Organisation, Good health is the optimal state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. How is this achieved? As revealed in this piece, good health helps us in life, and if we are not healthy, then we may be held back from doing most of the things we enjoy.
We therefore have a responsibility to care for our own needs. This makes us stewards of our bodies and the life we have been entrusted with. Reference was made to 1 Corinthians 6:19, a portion of Scripture which posits that we are not our own and that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s comfort and faithful guide to us while on earth.
If the Holy Spirit, God the Spirit, is to dwell within our bodies, then self-care creates an environment for God’s power to work, flow, and shine through us. Beyond physical care, women must be good stewards of our spiritual health by taking charge of our mental health. Women must commit to themselves in this regard.
Women are primary caregivers to the family and community and often are guilty of self-neglect. For this reason, International Health watchdogs like the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) advocate for women’s health, especially in the Region of the Americas where Guyana is included.
Statistics compiled by PAHO from across Central, South, and North America show that in 2019, 2.8 million women suffered mortality as a result of a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD). Dr Kezia Lee spoke of the burden of non-communicable diseases and why it is prevalent among women.
“Most of the diseases that affect women today are actually associated with poor lifestyle choices, and they are what we call chronic Non-Communicable Diseases. These are things like Diabetes Hypertension, Cancers and they are associated with what we put in, what we eat, how we rest, are we exercising, [and] if you are taking time for you…” She explained.
Both Doctors on the panel recommended balance in order to manage our intake and output. Dr. Bovell said that in order to prevent these results, we must first value ourselves and adopt methods geared towards total health, “Even among our young people, ensure that a lifestyle of health is demonstrated… a healthy lifestyle should be fostered.”
She continued by explaining that self-care comes from self-love, and self-love is realised after self-actualization. In this regard, we can foster good mental health, reduce stress, and build a motivational mindset to adopt healthy self-care habits.
Here is where Dr. Bovell provided a ‘5-R’ method of self-care which is critical to overall health:
- REST to allow the body to cease from constant physical and mental activity.
- RESTORE by ensuring you consume healthily, which means well for performance.
- RECALIBRATE or simply adjust to what is required for function.
- REJUVENATE for a fresh outpouring of yourself.
- RESET to start from a position of being prepared. This all gives life to a common saying ‘You Cannot Pour From an Empty Cup’.
Balance: Church life with School/ Professional life
Nulli Secundus came on board during Night two of the Webinar to have three young women share how they steward being a Christian and how it positively affects their professional/academic life. The presenters for this Segment were Minister Tiffany Griffith Attorney-At-Law, Sister Elliana Ganpat, a Grade Eight Student, and Sister Leshonda Kellman, a Medical Student.
Tiffany spoke of how conflicting it is to be a Christian in a secular environment. However, the plus of being a Christian means that she has access to guidance from the Holy Spirit in decision-making and her reaction to challenges. She noted that the church has contributed in tangible and intangible ways to her growth and recognised those who played a part in the process. Her advice to younger women is not just to be hearers of the Word of God but to keep and obey It as It will be beneficial to their lives.
At 12 years old, Elliana attributed her role in Ministry to her steadfast passion for things of God. As a pre-teen, she is exposed to critical life choices that will determine her future, but she realised that her commitment to church life sets the tone for her life in school and among her peers. She further added that she does not attend church as a spectator as she realised the church is a village that constantly helps her to recognise her truest potential. She advised her peers that we must know our worth and be involved in Church ministry. “If we don’t know our worth, the enemy can use that to suppress the call of God on our lives”
Soon-to-be Doctor, Leshonda testified of God being an ever-present help through hurdles, trials, and tests. The challenges encountered during five (5) years of earning a qualification to become a medical Doctor in Guyana were enough to force her to quit, but she was determined to see the end. Her church life provided a church community that served as a pillar on which she built her spiritual life and character. Her advice is to build relationships first with God and with people, seek after, and submit to wise counsel while immersing yourself in the Word of God and cultivating a prayerful life.
One more night of the Women’s Investment Webinar remains, and thus far, the platform has stirred women to get on board and take charge of their own personal health while building themselves spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
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