About The Anxiety Compass

Learn more about Donelle Dewar, the face of The Anxiety Compass

My story

I’ve worked in some toxic workplaces where I got appalled at some of the behaviour I saw. And I remember thinking “this is unacceptable”. There’s never an excuse to treat others with disrespect.

I consider myself a pretty strong-minded person. But I’ve worked with people who are less equipped to cope with some of the stuff I’ve seen happen at workplaces.

But it’s not always a toxic workplace that’s the issue. We’re humans who bring our personal issues with us when we go to work. And then we take work issues home with us when we leave for the day. It’s hard to separate the two.

My experiences made me want to find a way to support those who want to do their job well but are, for some reason, struggling.

I originally thought occupational therapy was about the physical side of life – how to avoid physical injuries. And how to physically cope when you return to work after an injury.

That was until I met an occupational therapist who explained to me what they do. It’s not only about the physical challenges, but the mental challenges as well. It was then I realised that occupational therapy was for me. The holistic nature of occupational therapy really appealed to me.

So, I completed my training and started working for businesses needing an occupational therapist. I thought I’d be teaching coping mechanisms to staff who were taking time off work to:

have cancer treatment
recover from heart attacks or strokes, and
other medical issues or surgical that weren’t covered by the Accident Compensation Corporation scheme (ACC).

But boy, was I wrong. What I found was that around 90% of people were having anxiety issues. Even when staff were referred with physical issues, anxiety was the real issue that kept coming up.

It made me think “why isn’t help for anxiety in the workplace easily available?” After all, we all experience anxiety at one level or another. But we’re not always taught how to manage it. And many managers I’ve met want to support staff they see struggling, but didn’t know how.

Then I realised: why don’t I offer this as a service? And The Anxiety Compass was born. I’m an occupational therapist in Hamilton. And I help employers and employees reduce their anxiety, both locally and overseas.

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My values

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Sustainability

Ensuring the interventions I recommend are sustainable for both employers and employees

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Holistic

Occupational therapy considers the full context of your situation – the person(s), the tasks they’re completing and the environmental settings – both physical and social

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Respect

I promote the dignity, privacy, autonomy and safety of everyone I work with



Wellbeing

I promote everyone’s wellbeing. Why? It increases productivity and helps with work-life balance

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Knowledge

I help others by continuously learning and equipping others with the knowledge they need to promote their wellbeing.

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Responsibility

Encouraging business owners to be responsible leaders by prioritising a safe and healthy workplace.

What makes me different?

There are many workplace wellbeing programs out there. But they’re group programs where you’re not likely to get individualised service.

And that’s where I come in. I focus on individual employees and individualised programs. I also provide follow-up support to help keep you on track and feel accountable.

Because I’m a bridge between health and business, I take the whole context into account. After all, it’s not just about your physical or anxiety issues at work. It’s also about the environment environment you’re working in.

I complement other treatment providers (such as psychologists and medical practitioners). This allows me to collaborate with other people who’re helping you, as long as you’re comfortable with that.