Every issue we highlight 1 sensational Jeddahwy person, 1 Jeddahwy life aspect, and 1 Jeddahwy hot topic…

Dr. Nayel Helmy: Jeddah’s Rockstar Doc

This month’s Sensational Jeddahwy Dr. Nayel Helmy, is an inspirational father, creative musician, and a high-profile doctor…

June is the month of fatherhood, and Dr. Nayel Helmy rocks on that front with his exemplary personality as a father, successful OBGYN doctor, and rockstar musician with the band Volfram, which plays a fusion of heavy metal and rock.

Jeddahwy got to talking to Dr. Nayel about his career and success:

What does being a doctor mean to you, and why did you choose this specialty over others?
To me, it means helping people and raising health awareness. And, most importantly, keeping the women and children healthy. I grew up in a doctor’s house. My dad was a general surgeon. I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon, but the Americans changed my mind; they made me love taking care of children before they’re born. Also, I really believe that taking care of the women in society makes a better society. Like they say, happy wife, happy life - happy women, happy society!

Would you attribute certain aspects or traits to succeeding as a doctor?
Multicultural! For the doctor to be more multicultural. I’m half German, half Saudi, and grew up in Germany, studied in America, and lived at an airbase here in Saudi Arabia where your neighbors are from all walks of life. As a doctor, I see people from every background, and I don’t judge anyone for anything. You shouldn’t have prejudices or religious views. I just want to make people feel okay health-wise.

Also, being a musician absolutely helps. It helps in hand-brain coordination as a surgeon. And it helps to make a doctor more humble. When I talk to patients, they feel I’m one of them. I’d see them in the morning and then meet them at night at a party or gig because that’s what I do; I do music; it’s a connection with people. You’re just part of the community. This God complex of some doctors needs to stop; it shouldn’t exist anymore!

Patients are also way more educated now. A doctor cannot wing it or be curt with patients because there’s Google. So, you can’t get away with BS anymore. It distinguishes the doctor who understands from the one who doesn’t.

And how do you handle the stress of the job?
Cheerleader wife. You have to have a wife who’s patient and supports you. I can’t say balance because, honestly, it’s not balanced. You’re just working or on-call the whole time and can’t just take a vacation whenever you want. So, you have to have your partner there for you, cheering you on. I also make it a point to take a two or three-day break every six weeks to recharge and refresh.

Jeddahwy then asked about Dr. Nayel’s sensational musical path:

Tell us about your fascinating music journey; what got you into it and how it developed?
It started in ’92 when we got to watch MTV for the first time on our TVs. When I watched Slash of Guns N’ Roses, I asked my dad for a guitar for my 12th birthday and got my first Washburn guitar. I used to practice for six hours a day, come back from school, and play until I slept. Then, when I was 16, we formed a band called Zodiac, and we started doing gigs in compounds and schools. We actually recorded an album with Tawfiq Saidani, the then-head of Cafe Aroma, and I went to Rotana. They threw it in my face! They said that the public would think it was satanic music, so they couldn’t publish it. And that was the end of it; I decided to become a doctor.

I revived my music thing when I came back from the United States with old friends of mine, the ones who are in the band right now, Ayman Tauwfik, Mansour Ali Reda, and Yusuf Tauwfik, and it’s been going great! We started officially as one band in 2018.

Tell us more about the band name and the meaning behind your art.
Volfram is a heavy metal in chemistry; it’s like platinum. It’s one of the most metals that need a high temperature to melt and is used in weapons and many other things. It’s also my mom’s surname. So, it’s in my blood!

As for the lyrics, they’re a way to tell a story. That’s the art of it. Every song in our albums has meaning and some element of truth. Some are about climate change, some about men’s rights being torn apart in the West, and one of them is about self-deception and pill addiction. Basically, it’s about trying to get off of Xanax and other prescription drugs from the taker/user’s perspective. Rock the Desert was about reviving metal in a world where people think metal/rock is dead, which is not true. It’s actually the main genre growing in the States year on year. So, it’s making a big comeback.

What challenges and support did you face, specific to KSA?
One of the biggest challenges is the rock crowd, which is increasing but at a slow pace. As for support, it’s Vision 2030! Now, there’s support to follow your passion without restriction, so it’s a good time to start.

What advice would you give someone starting up in this field?
Well, as a career, we’re not doing it as a career right now; there’s no money in it. But, if it’s a passion, grab an instrument or several instruments, and see which ones you’re interested in most. And then, just practice, practice, practice! The rest will come. It has to be more of a passion. It doesn’t work any other way.

Also, band dynamics could be a challenge. You have to pick the right bandmates, ones with whom your interests align. For example, with us, we all have big-shot jobs and are doing this for passion; it’s an escape from our daily lives into our passion.

Jeddahwy then got Dr. Nayel’s take on parenting and fatherhood:

How much of a role does music play in your family life?
It’s discipline. I taught my girl how to play the guitar. My son is starting, hopefully, on the drums. My wife picked up the piano. It teaches discipline, and it’s a stress reliever without them even knowing it’s doing that! It also changes your brain connections in ways that help you become successful. When you play an instrument, your thought processes change, which helps your personality, teaches you how to deal with things, and gives you a broader perspective on life.

What are the most important lessons you passed on to your children?
Learn how to rest, not how to quit! I always tell my kids that. Some parents emphasize getting straight A’s, but I don’t think that has anything to do with being successful. Creativity is what pushes kids to become successful. Learning music is one way. Even video games help people become more successful.

I also teach my kids to love traveling and getting exposed to different cultures. This exposure is what helps you learn how to talk to and communicate with people better. So, if you’re going to be a manager, a doctor, or a lawyer representing a lot of people from different backgrounds, you need to be able to talk to and deal with them.

If you could give fathers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t stand in the way of change! Your kids are a different generation; treat them that way. We live in a world that is so fast-paced and changing, from vinyl players to AI in our lifetime only. And your kids are a completely different generation, treat them like that and be patient with the changes that you face in their generation. Don’t be prejudiced about it.

It might sound controversial, but I don’t restrict screen time; I don’t believe it’s even possible. Kids can now go on YouTube and learn about things and how to do many things we wouldn’t have dreamt of before. My son learned all about the First World War with the click of a button; at our time, our only option to learn was to go to a library and get a book, which no kid really used to do or wanted to do. And even the hand-brain coordination that gaming teaches is super valuable. Don’t take that away from them; technology is amazing!

So, see the positives in their generation and let them be, let them flourish. Let them grow up in their environment, their fast-paced changing world. Teach them how to rest, not how to quit, and to have some principles in life.

And finally, Jeddahwy asked about the issue that plagues every sensational Jeddahwy person:

What are your most important tips for work-life balance?
Like I said, to have work-life balance, you have to have a partner who supports you and understands your job. My wife’s a doctor, so she completely understands the demands of my job and even assists me with ops sometimes. The kids might not understand until they’re older, but the partner being understanding is everything! And give yourself time to recharge, like doing a gig, practicing a hobby, or a quick weekend break somewhere; take a rest to recharge and balance.

Find and follow Dr. Nayel Helmy on Instagram and Volfram on Instagram and listen to their songs on SoundCloud.

Fitness Time

For the month of June, we chose the extensive Fitness Time wellness centers for our Jeddahwy Life review…

Boasting 195 branches in KSA and UAE, FitnessTime has all-encompassing fitness centers that include top-of-the-line cardio machines, weights, pools, indoor walking and running tracks, numerous fitness classes, and sports courts. With various memberships starting at SR 1,320/year for their brand FitnessTime Xpress, which has both cardio machines and functional training zones, fitness has never been so affordable. And with guided programs like FT90 (a comprehensive program tailored to each individual’s goals and includes classes and machines) and Box12 (a 36-minute workout that combines boxing and functional training), it’s super easy to get fit.

Find FitnessTime on Instagram or contact them through their website.

On Building Habits

If you want to build any habit, break it down into a ridiculously tiny habit that you do daily, writes Reham Kreidieh…

A few years ago, I came across a book called Mini Habits by Stephen Guise, which is similar to the bestselling Atomic Habits by James Clear. The main concept is that if you want to build a habit, break it down into a ridiculously small habit that your mind won’t resist doing. Keep doing this daily, and it will plant the root of your new habit, which will then flourish into a strong, solid tree.

So, I went ahead and applied this to exercise, which I wasn’t doing. I chose the form I like most that my brain wouldn’t oppose in any way and removed all obstacles that could get in the way – I got a treadmill and told myself that I wouldn’t even change into sports clothes or sports shoes as all I’m going to be doing is getting on it and walking barefoot for 5 minutes every day. And that’s what I did. After about two weeks of doing so, I wanted to turn those 5 minutes into 10. Then I added my sports shoes right next to the treadmill so that I would wear them instead of going barefoot. Bit by bit, my 5 minutes turned to 30 minutes, and my body started craving that time and the accelerated heartbeat on the treadmill. My mind was now demanding that I change into sports clothes and walk faster and longer, until I reached 45 minutes of HIIT cardio (alternating walking and jogging). And guess what? My mind and body stopped being satisfied with just that and I added many other sports and activities to my life.

This applies to everything you want to achieve in your life: make it a habit and it will become part of your life. I did this with my journaling habit, reading, writing, and even finding time to spend with loved ones, which we usually feel too busy to do. I systemized my week so that I spent some quality time with each loved one every day, which then grew to be a healthy amount of time with them. The key is to break it down to a very achievable, almost laughable, morsel of time or activity and remove any starting obstacles that would get in the way of you doing it daily.

According to the book, and from my experience, habit tracking also helps tremendously to get you to stick to your habits, especially at the beginning. I downloaded a nifty and super simple tracking app and used it daily. Eventually, the whole concept of building habits became innate and much easier to do every time I wanted to add a new one.

So, prioritize, start really small, and track. Eventually, it will all fall into place and become a part of your new reality.