So you have to try and maintain some kind of balance in order to stay as healthy as possible. Because of this, I’m having to treat myself much like a toddler, and put myself on a toddler’s schedule.
First there is BREAKFAST. For a toddler, the challenge is to make sure you are providing the little one with enough nutrition for its growing bones and muscles.
For me, breakfast is at 4 a.m., so I want to make sure I eat something that will get me through the show and not shock my body at that ungodly hour.
Then there is the mid-morning SNACK. This is the real key to staying fit despite the lack of energy. If you don’t plan ahead this is the time most people with an odd schedule will go to a vending machine, or eat the candy out of someone’s desktop dish.
You tend to eat more when you haven’t slept well, and before you know it you’ve gained 10-20 pounds because of habits from this time of day. You wouldn’t give a small child an unhealthy snack, and I have to follow suit with me.
Having fun and getting exercise is important for any wee one, but somehow as we grow older consistently incorporating PLAYTIME in our daily routine doesn’t seem to be a priority.
In order to stay healthy on this kind of schedule I have to exercise every day and allow my body a chance to work out its kinks. As with kids, wearing myself out with physical activity will also force my body to sleep better, regardless of how many hours of it I get.
Another important part of my new day is NAP TIME. Everyone understands when a toddler has to be put down for a nap, but as an adult you feel silly announcing to people you are not available because you have to sleep in the middle of the day.
However, without that nap I cannot function normally, and without the rest I tend to become quite fussy. However, as an adult my being cranky is not considered cute or excusable.
Parents find it important for their young children to have plenty of SOCIAL INTERACTION. That allows their verbal communication skills to excel and gives them a sense of community.
The only way to feel normal on a morning show schedule is spending time with family and friends, and those experiences will allow me to have a sense of who I am and better relate to my audience.
Like a toddler, I now have a set BEDTIME. I’ve never been someone who falls asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, so I have to go to bed early enough to get plenty of rest before the 3:30am alarm clock rings. My only question, is it too much for me to ask Katie Jo to read me a bedtime story?
I am very excited to be able to reconnect with listeners and be part of a new venture. As long as I follow the same schedule Millie Pete had me on four decades ago, I will be fine.
Melissa Carter is also a writer for Huffington Post. She broke ground as the first out lesbian radio personality on a major station in Atlanta and was one of the few out morning show personalities in the country. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter