Talking to Pamela Flood, it’s actually quite surprising that she’s not gasping for breath or cutting our conversation short so she can lie down and take a quick power nap. Why? Well she’s a woman who is constantly on the go. Seriously.
Whether she’s at home looking after her new arrival, baby Harrison, or working hard on her career, she’s a woman who seems to have managed to hit that elusive balance between work and life right on its target. And can we just say, she’s managed to do it in a sensible way too.
How does she keep up with her hectic schedule and, more importantly, how has her life changed since baby Harrison came into the world?
Her.ie caught up with her for a chat about work, relaxation and those all-important beauty essentials that keep the new mum looking so good.
Okay Pamela, we have to ask because we desperately need to know – how on earth do you cope with such a hectic schedule?
Well, I suppose like any other mother. Whether you’re in full-time employment and juggling motherhood, or you’re in full-time motherhood, I think it’s tough for anybody because it’s exhausting, because there’s a certain amount of sleep deprivation involved and, whether you’re home all day with the baby or the day is split, it’s tiring stuff. But it’s so rewarding!
You find that second wind and you keep going because well, A, you have to but I suppose it’s out of love as well. Babies are tiring but they’re very rewarding!
We can imagine! Do you believe that a bit of ‘me-time’ is something that’s essential to Irish women on the go?
Oh God, absolutely! Whatever ‘me-time’ you can get! Yes, I think it is really important, even if it is only, like, an hour a week just to chill out [Her.ie distinctly hears some noise in the background]. Sorry! Sorry! I’m slightly distracted – I’m trying to separate the dogs (laughs). I’ve given the baby a biscuit to keep him happy and I’m trying to keep the dogs away from him [more noise in the background]. Okay, I have rounded up the animals. We’re fine!
Now, where were we?
We were having a chat about the importance of some good old-fashioned ‘me-time’
Oh yes. Yes, even if you just get an hour or two a week, it’s great to switch off and just not be mum, not be partner, not be any role except yourself for a couple of hours.
So how do you relax? What are some of your favourite ways to unwind?
I don’t feel like I do an awful lot of relaxing these days. It’s a very busy time, but I love it! Some elements of my day are more relaxing than others. At some stage of the morning or the afternoon, we have two big dogs that have to be walked every day, as big dogs do, and we’re right beside a park, so we go for a stroll – myself, the dogs and the baby and it’s lovely. That’s quite relaxing. It’s a beautiful park and that’s quite nice. That’s a chilled-out part of my day.
Pamela manages to juggle a busy career with being a mammy.
We have to ask, what kind of dogs do you have?
I’ve two golden retrievers and they are gorgeous! They’re like babies themselves! They are the neediest dogs I have ever encountered in my whole life. From the time we get up in the morning and I come downstairs with Harrison about seven or half seven, they’re just all over you like, ‘Love me! Love me! Oh Jesus, please love me! I haven’t seen you in so long!!!’
I just think life is richer with animals in it and I know animals aren’t everyone’s bag, but if you love them and you can put the time in, it’s great. Life is sweeter with them.
Aw, they sound adorable! Getting back to what we were talking about before, there’s a lot of women out there who feel guilty about taking some time for themselves. What advice would you give to a woman who feels like this?
I think take the word ‘guilty’ out of your vocabulary! There was enough guilt growing up as a Catholic child, God almighty! There’s no room or space for guilt in my life. There are certain things that I’d like to work on, like everyone else. You’d like to devote more time to certain things and less time to others, but I just think it’s a horrible battle to feel guilty all the time.
You’re doing the best job you possibly can with the resources and the time that you have, so no guilt. No guilt.
Do you think that you’ve managed to find the right balance between work and life?
I think it’s peachy at the moment, like it really is. Work for me is now, and has been for the last few years, sporadic – it comes in bits and pieces. It’s very varied and it might be emceeing a fashion show or then it might be doing something like this for Vivioptal Active, which is interview-led, so there’s a great variety to what I do. It’s not massively time consuming either. It’s all very manageable with a small baby.
The balance right now is wonderful, but I don’t see it being like this forever. Like when Harrison is in school, I couldn’t imagine me being at home in the house all day. I see myself definitely being back working full-time in whatever guise that is, but at the moment I’m loving it. He’s little and he doesn’t talk yet, so I’m quite happy to be his everything at the moment. When he gets bigger I’ll branch out more.
It sounds like you have it all under control. What advice would you give for women who are struggling to get the balance between work and life just right?
No matter what someone’s situation is, they’ll always feel that something’s got to give. You can’t be superwoman and you can’t do everything, but I think you just keep working away at it. The most important thing is to figure out, really prioritize what’s important for you.
Pamela believes that ‘me-time’ is essential for women.
For a busy new mum, you look absolutely great! What are some of your favourite beauty products?
I’ve loads! I’m trying to narrow it down…
What about your ultimate essentials? What are the products that you just can’t live without?
My La Roche-Posay cleanser, I absolutely love it – that’s an everyday one, for sure [Baby Harrison gurgles loudly in the background]. I love (laughs) sorry, I’m getting big blue eyes staring at me looking for more biscuits!
But yes, my cleanser, my moisturiser – I do love a bit of Clarins. I kind of chop and change, I use a few different ones depending on the time of the year or whatever. I go for something light or something heavier. There’s just so many of them, it’s hard to narrow it down!
Oh we know! We’re loving Harrison’s little appearances in this interview, can we ask has becoming a mother changed your priorities a lot?
Oh God, yeah. Everything shifted. Definitely. I always found that family came first, but I’d say that work probably came second before him and now it’s like work kind of moved way down the list. I used to get such a thrill from work because I’ve loved what I’ve done for so long. There was great fun for me in work and it was a great confidence booster.
Now I don’t need work for those things. Now I feel like I’m enjoying being a mum so much it’s like I’m fulfilled I suppose. That’s what it is. I don’t need other things outside of the home to make me feel good about myself. It’s all here, and it’s not just Harrison. It’s obviously Ronan, my partner and his son Zach, who’s with us half the time. We’ve a lovely little family unit here. It’s all good, it’s working well. Now we ain’t the Brady Bunch (laughs) but it’s pretty good.
Finally Pamela, what would you say to the people who think you can’t be a good mother and have a fulfilling career at the same time? Is it always one or the other? Do you believe that?
I would have to say that I do think that something’s got to give. I think there’s probably a few out there who have [something falls in the background] …oh dear, what’s he pulled down now…
There’s probably a few people out there who feel very happy with their mothering skills and who have time with the baby and who also have a fantastic career as well – they’re just wonderful time managers. They really are. You have to be. And I wouldn’t consider myself a wonderful time manager at all. I take my time doing things, I don’t move quick enough. It wouldn’t be me.
I just think for women who worry about trying to do it all, don’t try to do it all. Just figure out what’s most important.
Pamela is the face of Vivioptal Active, available from pharmacies, priced €9.95 for a month’s supply (30 capsules)
