Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

A recent poll carried out on the networking site LinkedIn revealed a startling truth: nearly half of the professionals who responded feel afraid to be their authentic selves at work.

Wellness trainer Dolores Andrew said her survey findings tallied with Gallup’s latest research showing that only 31% of employees are engaged in their workplaces, a decade-low figure that underscores a growing crisis in employee satisfaction and productivity.

Next Friday she is hosting the biggest event in the West of Ireland celebrating National Workplace Wellbeing Day. Speakers and attendees are coming from many parts of Ireland with a keynote speaker from England will address the Workplace Wellness Reset being held in Galway.

“My goal is to bridge this critical gap – the divide between authenticity and engagement, showcasing actionable strategies for creating inclusive, employee-driven workplaces where people feel empowered to bring their full selves to work,” she explains.

This event is designed to benefit both employees seeking fulfilment and employers striving for organisational success.

The native of Galway city centre native, having grown up near Merchants Road, knows all too well what it feels like to be unhappy in work.

During her 20 years working in conveyancing in a legal office, she experienced bullying and suffered a miscarriage.

“The three things that stood out for me at the time of my own incident were not feeling seen, heard or that I belonged in the job,” she recalls.

Her legal career ended with the recession of 2008 and she found herself a stay-at-home mom to two boys.

“Through the workplace incident I had had myself and from raising my sons and becoming interested in the emotional development of children, I retrained in the wellness area. I wrote two mythological fairy tales in 2013 and developed a children’s emotional development programme which has free resources on my website to support children verbalise what they are feeling.”

She went on to become an assertive coach where she found her voice. She started working as a one-on-one coach helping people to find their way no matter where they found themselves in their lives.

“We all have fundamental needs that need to be met as humans whether that’s in our personal relationships or in our workplaces. We need to feel safe, seen, heard and have that sense of belonging. It’s only when these fundamental needs are met can we then develop confidence, self-esteem and really thrive in our life. I give people a tool box of ways to help them thrive when life throws them curveballs so they can get back on track easier.”

Pictured: Wellbeing workplace trainer Dolores Andrew.