Mental wellbeing is the key focus of this year’s round of Women in Print breakfasts which is perfect timing given the challenges faced by us all in the last 12 months.
The first breakfast was held on Wednesday in Brisbane with the second drawing over 120 women to The Waterview in Sydney today.
Bright Print Group co-director Debbie Burgess, who recently took on the role of Women in Print NSW patron for 2021, welcomed the attendees and outlined some recent changes for the Women in Print body, saying it has now been confirmed as its own entity, with its own board.
The Real Media Collective is the secretariat for the group which is represented in each state with a patron.
“Women in Print is only going to be successful with contributions, so we need the women in this industry to be actively involved through sharing written blogs for the website and attending events like this one today,” Burgess said.
Wo/Man Anchor founder and mental health advocate Steven Gamble was the guest speaker at the events, along with Liz Whyte from Life Foundations.
At today’s Sydney event, the duo discussed mental wellness and highlighted why mental wellness is just as important as physical wellness.
Gamble painted a grim picture with statistics showing 20 per cent of all Australians will suffer a mental illness in the next 12 months.
“The most common mental illnesses are anxiety, depression and substance abuse,” Gamble said.
Whyte touched on the topic of stoicism and how prevalent it is, and how it blocks many people from seeking help when they need it.
“There is nothing wrong with being stoic because it helps people keep going but if it stops people reaching out then it is not good,” Whyte said.
“It is a sign on strength to ask for help.”
Other topics covered included the barriers to accessing help and ways to deal with stress and dilute its power.
Setting boundaries around work, regular exercise and making time for yourself were suggested as good ways to go this.
Other Women in Print breakfasts planned include Adelaide on May 20 and Perth on May 21. The Melbourne breakfast, on May 25, is now sold-out. Anyone interested in obtaining tickets can get them here.
The Woman in Print organisation operates under the four key pillars of support; knowledge; network and community. It’s aim is to give women working in any part of print a place to go to learn, network and grow through knowing each other.
After the round of breakfasts are completed, the next event planned is a June 10 webinar on “ Bridging the Gender Gap”.
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