Wellness is the act of practising healthy habits daily, to attain better physical and mental health outcomes so that, instead of just surviving, you are thriving. The COVID-19 pandemic had a lasting impact on staff relations, and there was a need to interact more with each other after two years of isolation. The wellness programme's overall goal is to cultivate a culture of health and wellness within the Department of Library Services (DLS) staff community that will stimulate a conducive work environment, resulting in optimal performance.
The DLS Director, Ms Lindiwe Soyizwapi proposed a wellness pilot project to be implemented between December and November 2022. Library staff received a variety of wellness resources that were delivered to the various library branches. The main goal of this project was to encourage staff members to improve their wellness, engagement, and camaraderie.
To facilitate healthy behaviours to achieve improved physical and mental health, a number of initiatives were begun, including the following:
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Increased engagement among colleagues was encouraged
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A puzzle challenge was available for staff who found it intriguing as they selected and connected the pieces in a meaningful way, to improve intelligence, and encourage each other to think and reason using general knowledge, memory, and logic
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The meditation classes emphasised the importance of patience and dedication, thus promoting concentration
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Activities such as pilates classes, building a vision board and playing 30 Seconds encouraged staff to support each other, which can be translated the same in work activities
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The Mandala colouring activities were a favourite and enabled the teams to unwind
The feedback from different library branches was positive, and most staff members felt that the interaction had a meaningful impact on everyone who participated. The wellness activities were a game changer. Some of the participants described their wellness experience as "enlightening," "fun and entertaining," "calm," "feeling fit," "enjoyed," and "wonderful".
The project concluded on December 9th, 2022, with a final get-together of participants from the different branches. A huge thank you to the volunteers who contributed to the success of the project. The employee wellness journey at the DLS will continue in 2023 to promote wellness that will positively impact our well-being.
Pilates class
A fun game of 30 Seconds
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