Name: Ms. Mpumi Motaung
Role: Executive Director, Set Apart
QN: What does wellness mean to you ?
Wellness to me means wholeness. It is being well spiritually, physically, mentally and socially. As African women, often our spirituality is at the core of our lives and at the forefront of our minds. When I am firmly stable spiritually, then I’m able to notice or even care about being physically fit and healthy. It’s in that way I lean towards healthy habits, eating healthy, drinking lots of water, exercising, taking supplementary vitamins. I also read many self-development books and the bible.
Wellness also means being well mentally. Today, mental illness is real. It should be treated and not hidden or shunned.
Hormonal balance is key for women’s wellness. Many women do not understand that most of the challenges we face as women are due to hormonal imbalance. Educating ourselves is highly recommended, to help us as women understand ourselves better and be more kinder and attentive to ourselves and needs.
Wellness is confidence in who we are, in a healthy way. It is knowing your identity and finding your position in your household, community and beyond. It is taking time correcting the wrong narrative about what a woman is and her capacity plus limitations. It is defining who you are unapologetically.
Wellness to me as an African woman means knowing the essence of being truly African and embracing our values, knowing no man is an island, that we are interdependent and we have a lot to offer the world.
With the above said, wellness is peace, happiness, love and display thereof. It is being genuinely happy with YOU holistically.
QN: Are you currently prioritizing your well being? Why? If Yes, how?
Yes, I am currently prioritizing my well-being because there was a time where everything I knew about myself was falling apart and that caused me to go back to the basics I knew. I understood that no one was going to save me, offer me happiness, health and peace. I had to do it myself.
I spend time in solitude when possible. During this time I read the bible, I meditate on what I have read, I pray and journalize when i can. I also count my blessing and listen to my emotional gage. I do a lot of self healing work about past hurts that might be hidden yet cause some limitations and abnormal behavior. Because of this, I am able to hear as I spend time in the Presence of the Holy God, it has been my antidote since I found out the potency thereof.
I have also learnt to exercise my right to choose the people I surround myself with and listen to my inner radar.
My immediate term mission is to be a happy woman and be at peace with God, myself and others.
I also eat healthy food. I have over the years learnt the food that is not good for me and the food that is good for me. I try to eat within those limits and for me fortunately, its mainly fruits and vegetables according to my blood type. You will hardly find me drinking juices and soft drinks; I drink 3 litres of water and have my cup of coffee in the morning and occasionally a second one during the day. I take supplements for my optimal health and also fast whenever possible.
I detox my system from time to time especially my liver regularly. I have not been exercising recently however, I do 18 minutes exercise daily when I can.
I spend enough time during the day laughing. If it means calling my funniest friend I do that. If it’s spending time talking to my 4-year-old daughter, I do so because I find her very amusing at times. I even watch comedy on TV and giggle away. I enjoy spending time with my family, it gives me a sense of identity, I feel rooted and stable. Every night without fail, I read or listen to a spiritual book, self-development book or the bible after followed by a prayer.
QN: What can we do to make wellness a priority?
Firstly, I would say teach women self love. It is when you love yourself that you want to take care of yourself.
We must share our stories for women to know that matter wha they are going through or have been through, they are not alone!
Revive the spirit of Ubuntu and celebrate sisterhood. I also believe that the voices of those who have a greater reach must be at the forefront, leading women should take it upon themselves to be champions of wellness and teach others.
We need to make wellness a trend.
We also need to share with all women what is and isn’t wellness, and why it is important. Women spend their time taking care of everyone else except themselves and they believe if they focus on themselves, they are being selfish and may be seen as neglecting their families or those they deem important. We must be well first before we can look out for others’ well-being.
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Biography:
Mpumi Motaung is Managing Director of Set Apart Group in Agro processing, has founded and managed companies ranging from Oil Trading, Shipping Logistics, Corporate Recruitment, Security Guarding, Life coaching and motivational speaking, Construction and Training industries.
She is a co-founder of Gugu Dlamini Foundation and has served on the board for many years.
Mpumi has previously worked for Blue Chip Companies holding various middle and senior management positions. She has also served multi-national corporates such as MTN, Multichoice among others.
She has extensive experience in areas such as but not limited to enterprise management, corporate governance, Finance, and business operations.