Staff Writer

On her seventh birthday her father brought home two ‘kapok’ chickens for her to raise. And that was how the seed of her nurturing character was planted.

Today, a few decades later, Julinda Bock has made a career out of caring for people. And when dealing with a case, her go to line is the phrase; ‘wellness is a way of life.’ Bock is the Senior Wellness Officer at Namibia power utility, NamPower.

Born at a little known place called Townlands, just a short drive away from Keetmanshoop, in the south of Namibia, and bred in Otjiwarongo, Julinda Bock has it that she was put on this earth for one reason.

““My mission is to serve and empower people to realise their full potential. I just want to see people happy,” Bock said, in an exclusive interview with this publication.

That much she is currently doing for about 1200 co-workers at the state owned enterprise where her job, amongst other things, requires her to develop, implement and manage wellness programs that promote the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of her colleagues.

WHY WELLNESS
Suffices to state that Bock is no novice in this field having been at it for the past 15 years and still counting. Thanks to her innate selfless persona, she did not have to dig too deep into her aptitude to discover that her current job is where she belongs.

“I am an advocate for; be the change you want to see,” she stated but was quick to admit that that is not the only thing that makes her strive to excel at her work. Keeping the employer happy is the second reason.

“In corporate setups employee wellness contributes immensely to the bottomline of the company. Like they say; ‘a healthy employee is a productive employee,’ Bock stressed, adding that to this end, the health and wellness field has evolved drastically and is no more just about the ‘fluffy stuff.’

“We deal with real-life incidents in a real workplace, and this has a bearing on people’s livelihoods and the company’s welfare. So, in order for us to be accurate in our dealings with people we need to study empirical data on new trends, align with best practice and lessons learnt, continuous learning and development etcetera. Our work these days is more research driven than ever before,” Bock revealed.

With the above mentioned in mind, it goes without saying that at times she might drag some remnants of her work home? Bock’s reply is affirmative.

“Yes, we do take work home sometimes. At times I cry. It is normal. We are human. Eventually you see a psychologist for a debrief or make sure you have people who can check up on you. Build your support system. In my case, I have a very understanding husband who reads me well and knows how to drag me out of that dark place,” she said.

Also, I am a spiritual person and when it gets too much I find comfort in the word of God,” she added.

Above all, she draws her inspiration from always being herself and looking at a case without being judgemental.

Her commitment to hard work seemingly paid off when she received the Managing Director’s Award for Best Performing Employee, last year. She describes the experience of that day as having been ‘quite the moment,’ admitting that the prize came at a time when she least expected it.

“Many times we think that our work is not seen. But I was nominated because people spoke about my work and how it has impacted positively on them,” she said, adding that for the past 10 years she has been flying solo as the sole employee in that department until January this year when a colleague was hired.

Queried about what lessons she has learned through her job, that she wishes everyone should give other’s the safe space to be themselves and be tolerant about other’s views.

“It is called creating a psychosocial safe place for people. When people feel heard, seen or valued that is when the magic begins,” she says.

Psychosocial safety focuses on identifying and mitigating workplace factors (psychosocial hazards) that can cause psychological harm, such as stress, anxiety, or burnout, ensuring a safe and healthy work environment

“If the work environment recognizes the contributions of others the company will thrive. It only takes us being tolerant of one another,” she added.

As fun as she may portray it, her job does not come without a share of its own challenges. Moreso, with her being a woman. Professedly, there were a few challenges when they initially set up an employee assistance program.

“In general men are not forthcoming in seeking counseling and they found it difficult to open up to a female. Like I said, we are dealing with real happenings around peoples’ lives. But we eventually earned each others’ trust and all is well,” the professional woman who doubles as a proud mother and wife enthused.

But how does she balance being a working woman and mother without sacrificing much? According to her, it comes with the realization that energy is more powerful. She also realised, earlier on, that she cannot pour from an empty cup.

“Here you learn, re-learn and unlearn. And you have to constantly check in on your emotional and spiritual self, and know how to get the support you need. [Moreover] I love to plan, do gratitude journaling and practice the brain dump,” she said.

The “brain dump”, she says, is a mental decluttering technique where you write down or type everything in your head, without filtering or organizing, to free up mental space and improve focus.

BEING JULINDA
She listed her late father as leading the pack of the three most influential people in her life. She describes him as the workhorse of the family.

“He was the most hardworking person I know. He raised me to become tough and decisive but with a good heart,” she says.

Equally commendable, according to her, was her late mother’s selflessness and giving character.

Veronica Theron, a former supervisor, also had a lasting impact on Bock. Theron gets a mention on this page for having inspired Bock’s work ethic.

If she could give her 18 year old self advice it would be to ‘have more fun and believe in yourself.’

Like the best of them, Bock gets annoyed when people misunderstand her and this only happens because; “People do not get it when I stand up for myself”

Queried on where she sees herself in the next ten years Bock is not speaking board rooms and private jets, but community service.

“I am not not seeing myself climbing the corporate ladder. I am planning to pour back into my community by establishing a center where people can come for their emotional and psychological wellness,” she said.