The challenges of achieving work/life balance for women in business were the focus for a lunch at Magpie Springs Gallery and Winery at Hope Forest in February.

Award-winning artist Avril Thomas, who is co-owner of Magpie Springs, hosted the Women in Business Regional Network. 

The women took part in a project to self-assess their own work/life balance, and it was clear from the three teams that work dominates much of their lives, with less emphasis on self and relaxation.

Network founder Carolyn Jeffrey says sessions like this provide a great opportunity for women to not only realise they’re not alone in daily struggles to find a balance, but to also hear tips from others on how to deal with the competing demands of family, friends and clients; sleeplessness due to over-thinking; and the barrage of judgment levelled through social media reviews and comments.

“Women in business, particularly if they’re mothers too, face a wide range of challenges in trying to achieve a balance; and the myth of the superwoman from the 1980s hasn’t helped women to know it’s okay to say ‘no’ to some things,” Carolyn says.

“For many our upbringing or other life experiences has shaped us to be more vulnerable to stress and not giving ourselves permission to enjoy life too. We need to explore ways to overcome these barriers and to create opportunities for us to enjoy life a bit more.”

The next McLaren Vale function will be a dinner at Meeting Place, McLaren Vale on Tuesday, March 31 when the nbn will be on the agenda. The next lunch will be at Blessed Cheese on Wednesday, April 15 when Kathryn Brewer will speak on the topic of Strategies for Resilience: What Cancer Taught Me.

The Women in Business Regional Network is open to business owners, managers, staff and those dreaming of owning their own business. You don’t have to be a member to attend events but bookings are essential via Eventbrite.

For more information about the Women in Business Regional Network visit the website www.wibnetwork.com.au or phone Carolyn on 0435 432 203.