RTÉ weather presenter and continuity announcer Helen Curran and her husband Steve catch up on their TV shows once the kids are in bed and make time for ‘date nights’ to keep a good balance whilst juggling busy working lives and looking after their two children, Conor and Ella.
Here, Helen tells Sheena Madden about her mental life.
Tell us about a typical working day for you.
My working day varies greatly as I am on a shift work roster. If I am on weather, I usually work from 8.30am to 6pm. No matter what hours I’m working though, I’m up at around 7.15am with the children (Conor is almost 9 and Ella is almost 6). Steve usually looks after the breakfast, if he’s not away, and then we get the kids ready for school, shower and get ourselves ready for work. In work, a typical day would involve doing hair and make-up, then getting the summary slide prepared and recorded. Our first live weather forecast is usually between 9.30am and 10am so we have to download the graphics and learn the information all before going on air at 9.30am. We have two more forecasts before lunch and the News2day weather forecast to prepare and record before 3pm, and then the meteorologist has a forecast between 3.30 & 4pm. The meteorologist is in the office from 12.30pm – 10pm so we overlap for a few hours. This is nice as it’s very lonely otherwise, we are in the office on our own and in the studio alone too so it’s good to have company for a few hours, to save us chatting to ourselves! We then have to prepare and learn the European & World forecasts. Once I leave work, my other job begins at home! I collect the kids from either after-school care or from my parents and give them their dinner, make sure their homework is done and prepare dinner for myself and Steve. We have the kids in a routine - Ella goes to bed at 7.30pm and Conor at 8.30pm - so once they’re down, we can have time to ourselves. We usually go to bed by 11pm to make sure we get eight hours sleep, and then it all starts again!
What do you do in your down time?
I love movies so I will try to go to the cinema either with the kids or just myself and Steve when possible. My sister is amazing, she babysits for us a lot and gives us the chance to get out for ‘date nights’ which I feel is really important. If we can’t get out, we watch a good series on TV. We recently watched Stranger Things on Netflix and we watch Suits, Game of Thrones and Ray Donovan. I’m always off work on a Tuesday so I tend to do most of my stuff for myself on Tuesdays. I play tennis for two hours and do a gym class – usually strength and conditioning. The kids’ activities are on Tuesdays so I’m going here, there and everywhere to bring and collect them, but I love seeing them enjoying themselves so it makes me happy.
How important is down time to you?
Downtime is very important to me but I don’t do it enough. I think everyone should take some time out every day; it’s so good for your mental health. In work is when I tend to have my downtime, on my lunch break or coffee break. I love to just sit down and catch up on emails, Facebook or Home & Away (my guilty pleasure)!
How much down time do you get & do you prioritise it?
I definitely don’t prioritise my down-time, but I know I should. I tend to deal with the kids and all of their things ahead of myself but like I said, when I’m at work, at least I get a lunch break and time to sit down and have a cuppa.
What do you do to unwind before bed?
If I can have a bath, I will. I absolutely love lighting candles, putting on a face mask and having a bubble bath before bed. They’re few and far between though so normally I just watch a programme from a series that Steve and I watch and have a cup of decaf tea.
What do you like to treat yourself with that’s ‘just for you’?
I love to have a bath, play tennis or have a walk around Penneys! Also, I love being in the car on my own and singing!
What are the signs that let you know it's time to slow down a bit or take a holiday?
I regularly get swollen glands and sore throats. I suppose it’s the nature of the job but I know I’m run down then so I know I have to take things a bit easier.
Do you pay as much attention to your mental health as you do your physical health?
I think they go hand in hand for me. When I’m exercising I’m happy so therefore my mental health is good. Even if I’m not in the mood, I will get up and go to tennis or an exercise class because I know I will feel better for it afterwards.
How important are diet and exercise to you when it comes to maintaining good mental health?
Diet and exercise are so important for maintaining good mental health. Last year, I took part in Strictly Against Breast Cancer and I made a decision to be healthier in my diet and I’ve maintained that all year. I cook a healthy dinner every night (once a fortnight we get take away) and I make soup for lunch. I started eating porridge last year so that fills me up in the morning until lunchtime. My downfall is a can of cola, but I switched to a version that is sweetened with stevia extract from the stevia plant, rather than artificial sweeteners so I feel better drinking that and I cut down to about three or four cans a week, rather than one or two a day!
Do you have a 'calm down quick' tip?
I’m quite a calm person so I don’t tend to lose my temper very often but if I feel annoyed I just try and step away from the situation and think of something better. To get the kids to ‘calm down quick’ I tell them to count to five and take deep breaths so maybe I could do that too if the situation arises!
