Stress Relief
Posted November 20, 2005, 11:36 AM ET

Life throws you curveballs, and you've got to be prepared to handle what comes your way. Last week was an eye-opener for me in many respects. You find out in a hurry what is important in your life.

My job hosting "PrimeTime With The Packman" is a joy. It has its pluses and minuses like any other job, but there is no question that the good days outnumber the bad ones tenfold. Along with hosting the four-hour daily show, I have added a number of "outside gigs"...and I enjoy the challenges a great deal.

Some of the outside activities include:

"Primetime in the ACC", my Tuesday night syndicated radio show.

"JamPack", my charity organization that distributes tickets to kids to area sporting events.

"Street Turkeys", my annual Thanksgiving fundraiser for area food shelters.

"Packman on Sports", my TV commentary which appears twice a week in the Charlotte market.

"Southern Fried Football", my company...my pride and joy...college football's tailgating tour in the South.

Not to mention my weblog www.Packsmack.com and other website www.southernfriedfootball.com...plus, I write articles for the Southern Sports Journal.

In addition to speaking engagements, sales calls, commercial reads for clients and sitting on the board of other organizations...there leaves little time for other things in life...like your family...and in this case...."me".

Since taking over as host of "PrimeTime With The Packman" in 1997, I always wanted to be in contact with the audience. I vowed to answer every email sent my way....most people thought I was nuts, but I was going to do it.

And I have...until now.

This past Wednesday morning, I received a phone call from a doctor I have seen recently regarding my sleeping disorder. The news was not good. What was important was that I was listening loud and clear. I knew what I had to do.

I have never been a great sleeper. As a kid, I never needed a lot of sleep. But for the past few months, my sleeping pattern was nearly non-existent. Something was wrong, and I knew it. So did my wife and other people around me. I didn't want to accept that I had some kind of problem or issue. I didn't have time for it.

I wanted to use the hectic schedule during the football season (our busiest time) as the excuse for the lack of sleep. Not only has the workload been overbearing, but so has a difficult contract negotiation with Infinity Broadcasting which is still ongoing.

Last month, my wife Amie had seen enough...she contacted a doctor to schedule an appointment. Thank God she did....if you are like me, the typical male, you brush aside the warnings and pay no attention to the warning signs that you are affecting people's lives in a negative way. I'm hardheaded, and sometimes you need to be smacked upside the head to understand the point.

We met with Dr. Lindblom and discussed the signs, issues and problems surrounding my sleep disorder. He immediately sensed a problem and ordered me to visit a "Sleep Clinic". At first, I was hesitant about the idea. Why do I want to go to a sleep clinic and get wired up like Frankenstein? If I can't sleep in the comfort of my home, what makes you think I can sleep with wires attached from my head-to-toe and under the surveillance of television cameras?

On October 28th, after my radio show, I spent the night at the Sleep Clinic. I was certainly suspect of the entire procedure. In retrospect, I shouldn't have been...the technicians were great, the process harmless and the results critically important.

This leads me to my phone call from the good doctor this past Wednesday morning. I don't have sleep apnea, but I do have issues involving stress and a schedule that had to change...immediately.

The doctor made it perfectly clear that the best thing that I have done in recent memory is lose weight, get in better shape and meet with him about the sleeping problem. He mentioned that I'm a Type A+++ personality, and if I didn't start cutting back on some of my activities, that I was asking for trouble. His first suggestion...eliminate answering every email....and take some time away from the job.....both items were consuming me.

I normally spend about 5-6 hours a day answering emails from listeners....I would answer them at any hour of the day or night. It isn't normal and it certainly isn't healthy. I was always at the office...working on the show(s), commercials, Southern Fried, radio interviews, other projects, etc...The doctor told me to get away. Find a hobby, a release, anything that would take your mind off work, the computer and other items.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I heard every word he said and I knew he was right.

The reason I'm writing this on my weblog is to not only explain the changes coming up with me on and off the air, but to also reach out to other people that may be experiencing the same problems. Since mentioning this issue on my show last month, I have been slammed with emails from listeners that are having a hard time sleeping, too. I realized immediately that I wasn't alone...and in some ways that was a relief.

I appreciate all the support from not only the great doctors and medical technicians, but also from the listeners and fans of the show. I'm looking forward to spending more time on things that are the most important to me...Amie, G.G. and Emerson.

Happy Thanksgiving.